Sheila Johnson - Blood Betrayal

Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Without the aid and cooperation of Sheriff Cecil Reed and District Attorney Mike ODell, of DeKalb County, Alabama, this book would not have been possible. These two gentlemen, and all those who have served on their staffs over the past decade, never gave up believing that justice would be served in the Randy Headrick case. They have all been a tremendous help, and I will always be grateful.

Thanks also to Stephen V. Smith and LaRue Cornelison, two true friends of law enforcement, whose excellent reporting and photography helped bring forward tips and information from those who read their stories in the area newspapers.

Thanks to all the DeKalb County sheriffs investigators, who were determined to break the case and see the murderer of two innocent women sent to prison. Their dedication to finding the truth is a continuing inspiration.

A special thanks to lead investigator Rhonda Jackson, who kept such careful, detailed records of every aspect of the investigation for five long years. Her supervision of the case stands as a textbook example of outstanding police work. And special thanks also to Terry Durham, the young man whose courage and integrity provided Rhonda Jackson and her team with the information that finally broke the case.

Most of all, I thank my late mother, Olena M. Beasley, for a lifetime of love and support, without which I would most likely have ended up as the subject of someone elses true crime book, instead of the author of my own.

EPILOGUE

In the years following the Headrick case, life has moved forward for those who were involved for so long in the apprehension and prosecution of Randy Headrick. Jimmy Phillips and Clay Simpson, the investigators who worked such long, hard hours on the case, are still with the DeKalb County Sheriffs Department, and Mike James has gone from being a top-notch investigator to serving as Sheriff Cecil Reeds chief deputy.

Its a new challenge for me, he said of his job change, but I miss the investigative work. With his talent for detective work, it is likely that James still keeps a close eye on all the cases under investigation, and his door is always open when his former colleagues ask him for advice.

Sheriff Cecil Reed, an icon in Alabama law enforcement, is still on the job, awaiting the completion of construction of a large and much-needed new law enforcement complex and county jail before he retires. It will feature state-of-the-art security equipment and plenty of new cells for the inmates, who have crowded the old county jail for so many years. It will also provide roomy new offices for Reed and his staff.

I want to spend some time in that new office, Reed said.

Mike ODell, who was an assistant district attorney at the time that Carolyn Headrick and Dora Ann Dalton were murdered, was elected district attorney during the years when the case was being investigated, following Richard Igous retirement. ODell has successfully prosecuted some of the most sensational murder cases in recent northeast Alabama history, including the Judith Ann Neelley and Hayward Bissell cases, both of which drew national attention.

Reporters LaRue Cornelison and Stephen V. Smith, who both became deeply involved in documenting the Headrick case in their newspapers, have moved onto other career paths, but still have vivid memories of Randy Headrick. The multitalented Cornelison, so well-liked and respected throughout the law enforcement community, could have pursued almost any line of work she wished, and she is now working in the prison system as a correctional officer.

I went from writing about them to babysitting them, she said.

In the same year he won an Alabama Press Association first-place award for his photo of Randy Headrick, Stephen V. Smith also won three other prestigious APA photo awards, including second place in the same category with the Headrick photo.

That was a good year for me, he said.

Stephen moved on from his newspaper reporting, writing and photography to become the founder and president of Word South Public Relations, Inc., the first public relations firm in northeast Alabama, and one of the most successful.

Rhonda Jackson, the attractive, determined young officer who so carefully led the investigation of Carolyn Headrick and Dora Ann Daltons murdersand kept such meticulous records of every single phone call, conversation and piece of evidenceis still serving as one of the investigators at the DeKalb County Sheriffs Department. Throughout the years, Rhonda has been blessed with a wonderful family and one of the most supportive husbands she could have ever hoped for. Dewitt Jackson, a commercial poultry farmer, has backed up his wife 100 percent during every step of her career, and she praises him for his support at every opportunity. During all the sleepless nights while Rhonda tried to find the missing piece of the puzzle that would send Randy Headrick to prison for the double homicide, Dewitt was right there, encouraging Rhonda and letting her know he had faith in her ability to get the job done. Dewitt was recently elected to serve on the DeKalb County Commission, and Rhonda supports his work just as wholeheartedly as he has always supported hers.

Shane Headrick does not live in Alabama, and it is hoped he has been able to make a peaceful, pleasant life for himself without too many memories of the past casting a shadow over it. He was used by a skillful manipulator who had bullied and dominated him as a child. Hopefully, he has been able to cast off the hold his brother had over him for so long.

The years have been tough at times for the Dalton family, but their faith in God and their closeness as a family has pulled them through. Things were probably hardest on Kathy Porter and her daughter, Kendra, who walked through Dora Anns front door into a hellish scene, which haunted their nightmares for a long time. Kendra was especially traumatized by the experience, but her mother says shes been able to go on with her life and is now happily married with a family of her own and a career she loves.

At the end of the case, Kathy Porter wrote a letter to Rhonda Jackson that expressed her feelings toward the woman who had worked so hard to bring her mother and sisters killer to justice. She told Rhonda that she was very special to her, and that she felt the sheriffs department was lucky to have her on their staff. Kathy said that Rhonda had become more like a friend to her, always there when she needed to talk, and said how much she appreciated that. But most of all, Kathy said, she appreciated Rhondas dedication to God, which had meant so very much to her.

The times that you shared a Scripture and mentioned us in your prayers have meant more than you will ever know.

Thank you for not giving up.

As special as Rhonda Jackson is, there are countless other law enforcement officers around the country who are just as determined to bring criminals to justice. They work without ceasing, day after day, to help families like the Daltons to find closure and to see that the victims of violent crimes receive the justice they deserve.

To all of them, as well as to all of those who were involved in any way with the Headrick case, Thank you for not giving up.

CHAPTER 1

State Highway 75 is dotted with a string of small communities as it runs north to south through DeKalb County, Alabama. The upper end of the county is bordered by both the Tennessee and Georgia state lines, and most of its nine municipalities are situated along the highway, each little town blending almost seamlessly into the next. New brick ranch-style homes share space along the highway with small, older wood frame houses and single- and double-wide trailer homes, and small businesses of all types are scattered among the houses up and down both sides of Highway 75. Side roads, paved and unpaved, branch off the highway with other homes and small farms, and reconnect to other roads that form a spiderweb of gravel and asphalt covering the mountain. With its distinction of having the most total miles of roadways in the state, DeKalb Countys citizens are easily able to travel to and from other communities in the county by a number of different routes. The residents of these adjoining neighborhoods pay little attention to town limits, and their city services are all but interchangeable. Fire and rescue personnel, law enforcement officers and even members of the communities, pitch in and help each other whenever needed, giving all those who live and work in the homes and businesses along the highway the benefit of more than one source of aid in the event of emergencies.