Bedford County Sheriff's Office in Virginia

PRESS RELEASE
September 30, 2014

Bedford County Sheriff’s investigators have received the autopsy report from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner’s of Ruby Laughon and Brent Laughon. Rudy Laughon died from multiple gunshots and Brent died from a gunshot wound. The manner of death was ruled murder-suicide.

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PRESS RELEASE
September 26,2014

Bedford County Sheriff’s Office vice investigators, assisted by the Virginia State Police TACT Team, executed a narcotics search warrant at 222 Pony Acres Road, Bedford, Va. Thursday night.

Bethany Erin Abbott	Randolph Wallace Clark, Jr.	Mark Mathew Ferguson

Bethany Erin Abbott, age 40, Randolph Wallace Clark Jr., age 40, and Mark Mathew Ferguson, age 42, all residing at 222 Pony Acres Road, Bedford were arrested and charged with manufacturing and possession of methamphetamines. They were transported to the Bedford Adult Detention Center and are being held without bond.

Investigators advise that this is an ongoing investigation and additional arrests are pending.

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PRESS RELEASE
September 16, 2014

The Bedford County Sheriff’s Office, the Virginia State Police, the Bedford County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office and the Montgomery County, Maryland, Police Department are jointly investigating the 1975 abduction of sisters Katherine and Shelia Lyon. Recent developments in the investigation have led law enforcement to the Taylor Mountain area of Bedford County. Anyone having information concerning this matter is asked to call 540-586-7827.

There is also an online Tip Submission form.

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PRESS RELEASE
September 12,2014

At 8:22 a.m. Monday September 8, 2014, Bedford County sheriff’s deputies responded to Jane Randolph Street in Forest after receiving a call from a mother who reported that her 13 year old son had returned home from his bus stop. He told her that a white male in a silver or gold car had approached him at the bus stop, stuck a metal object in his stomach and tried to get him into his vehicle. While responding to the call on Jane Randolph Street, Bedford County 911 dispatchers received a call from a female at Westwood Apartments, who reported a white male had tried to attack her with a metal flash light. Dispatchers received another call, a third call, from a male, who reported that a white male had assaulted him with a flash light in the parking lot of Westwood Apartments. He was able to take the flash light away from the suspect and the suspect ran into an apartment, not the suspect’s. During this altercation the suspect stuck the victim’s vehicle several times with the flash light. Due to similar descriptions of the suspect, it was quickly determined that the suspect in the attempted abduction was the same white male that attempted to assault the male and female at the apartments. Deputies were able to identify the suspect as Michael A. Wood Jr., age 48, who lived in Apt. 502 Westwood Apartments. After searching the area deputies located and arrested Michael Wood at 8:51 a.m. He was charged with abduction, three counts of assault and battery, destruction of private property and trespassing.
Wood was transported to the Bedford Adult Detection Center and is being held on no bond.

Michael A. Wood

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PRESS RELEASE
August 29, 2014

The Bedford County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a forgery and uttering that recently occurred. During the course of the investigation it was discovered that the same female suspect is responsible for similar crimes in Waynesboro, Chesterfield, and the Town of Bedford. These crimes with this suspect have been occurring since June 2014.

The suspect appears to be intercepting legitimate business, in this case, Forest Foot and Ankle, checks from the mail and in one case, a private drop box. The suspect then alters the check to reflect a fake name. She then takes the checks to a bank and cashes them.

The suspect has used the following names and fake I.D.’s in these crimes:

• Tabitha Leigh Williams, 4552 Brookgreen Dr. West Columbia, SC 29169; SC DL 85185749
• Jennifer Cauthen, 3024 Anchorbrook Dr. Bellefontaine, OH 43311; Oh ID 9404951281
• Keandra Ellen Duncan; address 3225 Centerfield Dr. Cincinnati, OH 45201, Oh ID OHTL95140

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office at 540-586-7827, submit a web crime tip, or call Central Virginia Crime Stoppers at 1-888-798-5900. Crime Stoppers callers remain anonymous and could receive a cash reward to up $1,000 for information that solves the crime.

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