October 5, 2015 - According to two press releases from the Sheriff's Department, a man was charged for aggravated kidnapping and in a separate case a woman was charged with burglary of a habitation. Both were arrested in July 2015. Neither case has been indicted by a Shelby County Grand Jury as of October 5, 2015.
Deron Vodre Bowlds, 22, of Logansport, Louisiana was arrested July 7, 2015 after allegedly kidnapping his ex-girlfriend, Jessica Lee Barber, causing seriously bodily injury, stemming from an incident that occurred June 29, 2015.
Shelby County Sheriff Willis Blackwell reports Tuesday, June 30, 2015 patrol sergeant Derek Barbee met with Barber at the Nacogdoches Medical Center, Center Emergency Center. Barber advised Barbee she had been assaulted by Bowlds in Joaquin and then taken into Logansport, Louisiana.
According to the report, Barber told officials she saw Bowlds walking past Brookshire’s in Joaquin around 10:30 p.m. on June 29. Barber stated she stopped and picked up Bowlds and was going to drop him off at Nu-Way in Joaquin. Barber said Bowlds went into Nu-Way, made a purchase, returned to the car and told Barber to drive down the road so the two could talk for a few minutes. Barber said the two traveled down the road beside the store and talked.
Barber stated in the report after driving for a few minutes, Bowlds told her to take him back to the store and drop him off. Barber said as she turned the car and headed towards to the store, Bowlds allegedly punched her in the back of the head and told her to drive to Logansport, Louisiana. Barber told officials that as she approached Nu-Way, she drove her car into the parking lot without hitting the brakes and the car came to rest in a ditch in front of the store. Barber said Bowls continued hitting her.
The report states Barber began honking the horn of the car and screaming. Barber advised that Bowlds bit her in an attempt to keep her quiet. Barber then told officials that Bowlds began to choke her where she couldn’t breathe and he took full control of the car. Barber said Bowlds climbed into the driver’s seat, sat on top of her and drove the car to Logansport, Louisiana and parked it in the woods.
Barber told officials once they arrived at Bowlds home, he snuck her inside the house without anyone seeing her and made her talk to him. Barber advised that Bowlds fell asleep after daylight (June 30) and she was able to escape from the house and ran to her car. Barber then traveled to the emergency room and contacted law enforcement.
Surveillance footage was obtained from Nu-Way in Joaquin which verified what Barber reported to officials. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) also received a call at 11:03 p.m. June 29 from a caller who advised that a gold Pontiac Bonneville left Nu-Way in Joaquin at a high rate of speed and was driving out of control. The caller also indicated she heard a lady screaming inside the vehicle.
Bowlds was charged with aggravated kidnapping – felony 1. He remains at the SCSO on a $6,000 bond.
This case was under the investigation of SCSO Investigator Kevin Windham.
Gina Graves Furra, 37, of Center was arrested July 21, 2015 after allegedly stealing checks from the home of her grandparents, George and Geneva Burns.
On July 16 Furra reportedly attempted to purchase a vehicle from Melton’s Car Center in Center using a check from Capital One Bank for $12,000. An employee called Capital One and it was revealed the check Furra tried to use was invalid. Furra advised the employee she would return to purchase the vehicle.
The arrest affidavit states Geneva Burns told Shelby County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) investigators she was in the back room of the house hanging up clothes when she heard Furra in her house talking on the phone. Burns stated by the time she made it to the living room she could see Furra out the window of the house in a vehicle with a male passenger. Burns said she looked at her desk where two checkbooks were and discovered a check was missing from their farm account and two checks were missing from their personal account. Burns stated that no one had permission to take any of the checks.
During the course of the investigation, SCSO Investigator Kevin Windham contacted Farmers State Bank in Center in reference to the checks Furra passed on the Burns bank accounts. The bank confirmed that on July 15 a check in the amount of $12, 297.67 was issued to Melton’s Car Center with a reported forged signature of Geneva Burns. Furra also issued a check from her account on July 15 to George Burns in the amount of $12,297.67. The investigation revealed after failing to purchase a vehicle with the check from Capital one, Furra traveled to her grandparent’s residence and returned with a stolen check and paid for a car with it. Melton’s Car Center contacted Geneva Burns and found that the check was not legitimate and began looking for the car Furra purchased.
SCSO Sergeant Investigator D.J. Dickerson met with Furra (who was already an inmate at the SCSO on unrelated charges) on July 23 and she confessed to traveling to her grandparents’ home and taking the checks without permission. Furra told Dickerson everything had been returned to the rightful owners, including the vehicle.
Furra was charged with burglary of a habitation – felony three. Her bond was set at $15,000. She posted bond and was released August 7.
Submitted by Leah Chase
