Jury selection continued a week ago Monday afternoon, March 26, in Russell County, as efforts were made to seat a panel in the murder trial of Richard Smith, who is charged with murder in connection with the September 2009 death of Samantha Rigney.

According to court officials, potential jurors were being questioned late on Monday afternoon as this edition was preparing to go to press.

The trial, originally scheduled for December in Wayne County, was moved to Russell County after efforts to seat a local jury failed.

Jury selection began in Russell County Monday morning, March 26 and five days was set aside for a trial.

Smith was arrested a few hours after the fatal shooting of Samantha Rigney, a young mother who was sitting on the front porch with her family at the time of the incident.

Rigney sustained a single gunshot wound to the head and died a short time later.

Witnesses allege that Smith rode up to the Rigney family’s home in the Parnell Community late on Saturday, September 5, 2009, pulled a pistol from his waistband and began to fire shots.

The victim’s husband, Jonathan Rigney, and their two children, along with a family friend and her child were sitting on the porch.

In addition to murder, Smith is also charged with five counts of first degree wanton endangerment.

************************

An inmate from the Wayne County Detention Center, who walked off from work detail on Monday, March 12, is back in custody.

According to Wayne County Jailer Ray Upchurch, Mitchell Ross was arrested in Letcher County on Tuesday, March 20.

Upchurch spoke with Letcher County officials earlier last week to make arrangements for Ross to return to the local detention center.

Upchurch said Ross will lose all work detail privileges and that he will be placed in isolation at the Wayne County Detention Center.

Ross was on work detail with the Monticello Street Department when he walked away from the job site.

************************

Two people were arrested in Monticello on Tuesday, March 20 for manufacturing methamphetamine, according to information released by Operation UNITE.

According to the UNITE officials, Monticello Police received a tip about the possible location of two suspects wanted on manufacturing methamphetamine indictments.

When city officers and deputies from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office arrived at a home on North Second Street they discovered 39-year-old Angela Wallace and 35-year-old Joseph Wallace hiding in a closet and spotted materials used to manufacture meth.

After obtaining a search warrant, they located a one-step meth lab and three other active smokers used in the manufacturing process.

The Wallaces, of Monticello, were served with the indictment warrants and were additionally charged with manufacturing methamphetamine by the Monticello Police Department. Additional charges are pending.

Operation UNITE also noted that four separate incidents of inactive meth labs were found along highways in Wayne County on Monday, March 19.

************************

Two men were arrested last week in connection with the theft of copper and other metal from a building in Monticello.

On Monday, March 19, Chris Shelton, 37, and his brother, Tracy Shelton, 31, both of Monticello, were arrested on charges of burglary third degree and on bench warrants for failure to pay fines. They were taken into custody at the former Stearns Ford building on South Main Street.

The Monticello Police Department was notified at about 11:45 a.m. on March 19 that a burglary was in progress at the vacant building. Kentucky State Police Trooper Parrish Baker, Monticello Police Sgt. Tony Morris and Monticello Police Officer Gordon Stephens responded to the scene. They discovered the two men unlawfully removing copper and metal from the building.

Both were lodged in Wayne County Detention Center.

The investigation is continuing and is being headed up by Baker, with assistance from Morris and Stephens.