Soaking it all in

Life without parole for child murder conviction Sept. 22, 2014 Torres Boles was sentenced to life in prison without chance of parole Monday after being convicted last week for the death of his 3-year-old daughter in February 2013. The sentencing was moved up and handed down by Liberty County Superior Court Judge Paul Rose Monday afternoon in the Liberty County Justice Center. Boles’ trial ended last Wednesday and his sentencing was to take place in two weeks. The reason it was moved up was not explained. The trial painted a brutal picture of the last 24 hours of Andraia Boles’ life and how it ended at the hands of her father. Boles’ public defender, John Ely, asked for leniency, saying his client had no criminal history prior to the incident. He said Boles had received several military medals during his eight years of service. He said Boles was deployed for 15 months in Iraq and later 13 months in Afghanistan. During both deployments Ely said his client had seen his friends kill...

Two years after her son, TJ Floyd was brutally stabbed to death Debbie Floyd feels like she is finally turning a corner. “The Devil thought he was going to take me down because I had reached hundreds but now I am going after thousands,” Floyd said adding she recently realized her new mission, one she could carry forward to honor her murdered son’s memory. To understand Floyd’s future mission you need to understand the events that devastated her past. “You would have thought that when I walked out of the court room the other day I would have been relieved. I wasn’t I went into this deep dark hole…I wasn’t prepared for that,” she said. Floyd’s son was 19 when he was stabbed to death on Jan. 21, 2012. That day changed Floyd’s life forever. On April 4, Floyd and her family were in court as her son’s killer Travon Walthour, accepted a plea agreement on a manslaughter charge in Liberty County Superior Court. Walthour will have to spend at least 15 years in prison before he would be eligible...

This story was published in Liberty Life Magazine's Winter 2011 edition - After a full week of rain in mid-October, the sun broke through. Its rays cast a warm glow over the coast as St. Catherines Island mechanic Allen Dean steers his Bay Craft boat through the maze of marshes that make up the eastern coast of Liberty County. Dean’s vessel cut through the water of the North Newport River — a left turn here, a right turn there — as he weaves through small inlets on the way to his clandestine destination. “We started exploring all these places … the barrier islands and St. Catherines, and it was just a story that was handed down,” Allen’s father, Ted Dean, recalls as he grabs the anchor and rope. Dean, who grew up in Midway and once owned hardware and liquor stores, began exploring the river as a young man and still ventures out on the waters today. The motor throttles down, and the vessel coasts up to a small bluff on an island about an acre long. Covered with pine trees and t...

I’m addicted to watching shows on Food Network and Travel Channel. Guy Fieri is funny and engaging touring across America on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Anthony Bourdain is not only a true chef but a pure storyteller and what I like to classify as a real food journalist. There are truly some things Andrew Zimmern puts in his mouth that make me question his sanity, but there is something distinctly clear when watching their shows. They have a passion for the foods they eat and cook as well as a desire to understand the culture the recipes come from. I have a passion too, a pure joy and passion of eating but sometimes I find myself limited to what and where I can eat due to budget constraints. I think many people during this tough economy can probably say the same thing. But every once in a while I get those few extra bucks and once I’ve made sure the bills are paid and I have enough gas in the car to last for the week I will allow myself to indulge. One of those opportunities happened ...

Rape and other forms of sexually violent crimes continue to be an ever-present problem that affects hundreds in our community every year. More often than not the victims of these crimes do not report or speak about the incident due to fear, shock, disbelief, denial, anxiety, guilt and self blame. The Rape Crisis Center of the Coastal Empire is well established as a comprehensive agency serving Savannah and the surrounding area. Each year, the Rape Crisis Center reaches approximately 700 victims including adults, children and the family members of victims. Their crisis intervention programs include SART (Sexual Assault Response Team) and SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners), which makes the reporting process much more responsive to the victim. An additional 15,000 people are reached each year with the various prevention programs for all ages, such as Good Touch/Bad Touch, Bullying Prevention, Rape Awareness, and self-defense classes. Through it all the Rape Crisis Center of the Coastal...

Crowder’s file up for parole review Long County case became infamously known as Tomato Patch Murders Patty Leon After serving 14 years of a life sentence Billy Crowder has become eligible and is currently under review by the Georgia Department of Pardon and Paroles Board. Crowder garnered unwanted notoriety during his murder trial held in the summer of 1998 in Long County Superior Court. He, his family and his friend Jason Jordan stood accused of a heinous crime against his grandfather, Thurman Martin. The trial and subsequent series of events placed the small community of Ludowici on the map as events unfolded on the local news and later became a national sensation when a documentary about the family, murder and trial aired on A&E, Court TV and even 20/20. The story involved the alleged abuse of an entire family, a murder and a cover-up; all culminating to Crowder’s verdict and what even some of the jurors called a miscarriage of justice in the sentencing. Crow...

The Frame Gallery on South Main Street The Haunting The former owner of the Frame Gallery store reported hearing noises and footsteps emanating from the second floor. Store merchandise was reportedly being moved around or placed, teetering, on the edge of display tables. A candle holder was thrown across the room, former employees saw apparitions and the activity was describes as being mischievous more so than malicious. The activities increased as the Christmas Holidays approached. This building was investigated by a paranormal group that picked up children’s voices on digital recorders as well as other unexplained voices. The investigators detected the odor of camphor in a certain room on the second floor and captured a few Orbs on camera. The History The building where the Frame Gallery was located was owned by Peyton Way and housed a drug store on the first floor and the first Hospital in Liberty County on the second. Dr. T. W. Welborn (1887-1962), who was a physician...