Murder suspects arrested

Three are arrested for 2017 murder of Flomaton couple

Two people were arrested Tuesday and a third Wednesday morning and charged with capital murder for the Aug. 12, 2017 murder of a Flomaton couple who were found shot to death inside their mobile home at 1455 College St.

Jermaine Lavelle Smith, 35, with an addressed listed as the Escambia County Detention Center in Brewton, Jacqueline Bernice Rolin, 40, 346 Perry Lane, Atmore, and Kenneth Joe Lowery, Jr., 40, George Street, Century, were all arrested and charged with three counts of capital murder. The charges are murder during a robbery, murder during a burglary and murder involving two or more people. If convicted the three could be sentenced to death.

Flomaton Police Chief Chance Thompson was an investigator with the Flomaton Police Department on Aug. 12, 2017 when the bodies of Timothy Adams, 50, and Susan Adams, 61, were found dead inside their College Street residence.

Court records show the three were charged with shooting the couple with a .44-magnum pistol during the commission of theft of pills, cell phones and a wallet.

Former Flomaton Police Chief Brian Davis stated at the time that the police department received a call at 1:59 p.m. on Aug. 12, 2017, saying he had gone to the Adams' residence to purchase a refrigerator but couldn't get anyone to come to the door. The man purchasing the refrigerator told police he knew Timothy Adams had a heart condition and said someone needed to check on them.

When police arrived for the welfare check they found the couple dead inside, suffering from gunshot wounds.

Chief Thompson said the police department has continued its investigation since the 2017 murders and had arrest warrants signed Monday morning.

Thompson said Flomaton police, along with investigators from local, state and county levels have continued the investigation and have been collecting evidence.

Thompson said the cell phones and other property taken from the home were left in two separate locations.

"Our department continued to investigate leads in reference to any information pertaining to this case that was brought to our department, and investigate all information fully," Thompson said.

Thompson said the investigation has continued but noted the police department recently began to look very closely at all evidence collected.

Thompson said during a search of the cell phones recovered, something triggered his mind back to previous suspects.

"I actually prayed to God to point me in the right direction," Thompson said. "And he did."

He said a lot of people felt the case had gone cold and nothing was being done to find the killers, but Thompson said the investigation always continued.

He said Escambia County Sheriff Heath Jackson and his investigators, along with agents with the Alabama Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Escambia County (Fla.) Sheriff's Office, the Poarch Band of Creek Indians Police Department and the Jackson (Ala.) Police Department were instrumental in the investigation.

Lowery was arrested Wednesday morning in Century and transported to the Escambia County Jail in Pensacola. Smith and Rolin appeared before Escambia County (Ala.) District Judge Eric Coale Wednesday afternoon and were ordered to be held without bond.

 
 
Rendered 03/17/2024 19:22