Body of missing teen found in Yocona River

Tuesday, May 7th, 2013, 10:14am

(WMC-TV) - The body of the missing 19-year-old teen has been found in the Yocona River, according to LaFayette officials.

Stephen Emerick was last seen one week ago. He left work early because he was sick, according to officials.

Surveillance video caught him at two Walmart stores on the way home. His truck was found by the Yocona River not far from his house on Tuesday. His wallet and cell phone were found inside.

Check back with WMCTV.com for more details as this story develops.

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Oxford makes changes to a historical marker

Submitted by Bernadette Davis, Freelance Writer

Monday, May 6th, 2013, 3:09pm

The new marker was installed in front of Oxford City Hall in place of the 1951 plaque. Oxford City Hall staff said the original plaque did not detail the history of Oxford sufficiently and was in need of repair. The information on the new marker has been approved by the department for historical accuracy. Click here to read more.

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Ricin letter suspect held without bond

Submitted by WMCTV Web Staff

Thursday, May 2nd, 2013, 4:26pm

OXFORD, MS- (WMC-TV) - A judge found probable cause to hold James Everett Dutschke in jail without bond.

Investigators believe Dutschke, 41, sent ricin-laced letters to President Barack Obama, Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker, and a Mississippi judge. He waived his right to a bond hearing in court Thursday.

The Tupelo man's DNA was found on a mask in a trash can outside his martial arts studio. Traces of ricin were also found on the mask. A box for a coffee grinder was also found. The FBI surveillance team says they watched as he threw the items away. He was under surveillance even while former suspect Kevin Curtis was in court.

The initial affidavit says the FBI also found ricin inside Dutschke's martial arts studio. The affidavit also said numerous documents found in his home had printer markings that were similar to ones on the letters.

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Second ricin suspect makes first court appearance

Submitted by Michael Clark on Monday, April 29th, 5:07 pm

OXFORD, MS- (WMC-TV) - The second man arrested in connection with the ricin-laced letters sent to the president and other officials appeared in court for the first time Monday.

James Everett Dutschke appeared in federal court in an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs.

He is accused of producing the ricin that was sent to President Obama, Senator Roger Wicker, and a local judge in Lee County.

As James Everett Dutschke sits in jail in Oxford, he is charged with producing a biological agent.

Antonio Jiminez saw the swarm of FBI agents searching Dutschke's home in their ricin investigation last week.

"It scared me because I have my young ones over here, you know," said Jiminez.

Dutschke was arrested and charged over the weekend. Documents remained sealed, so it is unclear exactly what authorities found.

Hal Nielson is a former FBI profiler in north Mississippi. He worked with Chriti McCoy to defend former suspect Kevin Curtis.

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Ricin letter suspect freed on bond

Submitted by WMCTV Web Staff

Tuesday, April 23rd, 2013, 4:49pm

OXFORD, MS- (WMC-TV) - According to the U.S. Marshals Service, the man suspected of sending letters laced with ricin to President Obama and a Mississippi senator was released from custody.

Action News 5's Michael Clark reports that Paul Kevin Curtis was freed on bond. That bond amount is sealed.

The FBI said a search of Paul Kevin Curtis' vehicle and house in Corinth, Miss., on Friday did not turn up ricin, ingredients for the poison, or devices used to make it. A search of Curtis' computers has found no evidence so far that he researched making ricin, according to the Associated Press.

Curtis denies any involvement in letters sent to Obama, Mississippi Republican Sen. Roger Wicker, and a Lee County, Miss., judge.

The first of the letters was found April 15.

The FBI searched the home of a second man in Tupelo on Tuesday afternoon. That home belongs to J. Everett Duestchke.

At this point, he has not been charged in the case.

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Defense attorney hopes ricin suspect could be free soon

Submitted by Michael Clark on Monday, April 22nd, 5:57 pm

OXFORD, MS- (WMC-TV) - The Mid-South man accused of sending ricin to President Barack Obama through the mail could be released from custody.

It will be at least one more day before we learn if Kevin Curtis will remain in jail on federal charges or if he will be released.

On Monday morning, Curtis' defense team argued that there is no evidence tying him to the crimes.

An FBI agent testified that there was no ricin found inside Curtis' Corinth Mississippi home or vehicle, but said investigators still believe Curtis is "their suspect".

Computer searches for keywords like 'ricin' turned up nothing on the machines seized from Curtis, but the FBI says it is still looking for a thumb drive or external drive that has not been recovered.

Investigators say the letters contained a phrase at the end that read "I am KC and I approved this message."

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