South Precinct detectives are charging four persons, two of them parolees, in connection with this morning’s kidnapping and robbery of a 64-year-old man on Gatlin Drive.
Elza Evans, 39, and Gregory Mathis, 36, both of Madison County, are being charged with two counts of aggravated robbery and two counts of aggravated kidnapping. Both are convicted felons.
Emily Turner, 34, of Walnut Street, also a convicted felon and the person suspected of setting up this morning’s crimes, is being charged with two counts of aggravated robbery, theft, and forgery. Turner’s boyfriend, Danny Lee Samms, 26, is being charged with two counts of aggravated robbery.
The investigation shows that Turner, who is an acquaintance of the 64-year-old robbery victim, spent the night at his home. Also present were the victim and his 46-year-old girlfriend. This morning, Turner, who had arranged for Evans and Mathis to participate in robbing the victim, unlocked a door so that they could gain entry. When the victim began his morning routine, he discovered the men inside his house. Evans and Mathis, who were both armed with pistols, forced the victim to write two checks, totaling thousands of dollars. They bound the victim to a chair with duct tape and directed Turner and the victim’s girlfriend to go to a bank, cash the checks, and return to the home within 30 minutes or they would kill the victim.
The two women traveled to the Regions Bank branch on Murfreesboro Pike at Plus Park Boulevard. The victim’s girlfriend, who was not part of the scheme, told bank employees what was occurring and police were notified. Turner, seeing this, placed a call to her boyfriend, Samms, who in turn notified Evans and Mathis that they should leave the home.
As Evans and Mathis walked onto Gatlin Drive, wearing wigs and carrying their pistols, police officers from various components who were covertly watching the residence took immediate action. Evans and Mathis refused commands to get on the ground and ran behind homes on Gatlin Drive, tossing their wigs and guns in the process. A fence at the rear of Tennessee Prepatory School property cut them off. Both were taken into custody within close proximity of each other.
Turner was interviewed by detectives and claimed to have been an innocent victim in the entire situation. Without any evidence to the contrary, she was released. At noon, Turner showed up at the Regions Bank branch near Nashboro Village and attempted to cash a several thousand dollar check that had been stolen from the victim. Bank employees were suspicious of the check and police were notified. Turner and Samms were arrested before they could flee the bank. Turner and Samms confessed their involvement in subsequent interviews.
Evans is presently on parole in relation to a 22-year prison sentence for convictions out of Madison County for second-degree murder, facilitation of attempted first-degree murder, especially aggravated robbery, aggravated robbery, and possession of a weapon while eluding arrest.
Turner is presently on parole in relation to a 19-year prison sentence for a multitude of convictions out of Washington County for criminal simulation, forgery, burglary and theft.
Mathis has convictions in Madison County for three counts of aggravated robbery, carrying prohibited weapons, and theft.
Samms has convictions in Nashville for possessing drug paraphernalia, the latest of which was earlier this month, and driving on a suspended license.
“None of these persons is a stranger to the criminal justice system; in fact, three of them, by their previous convictions, have been shown to pose a significant risk to Tennessee’s citizens,” Chief Ronal Serpas said.
“To further illustrate the serious threat repeat offenders pose to our safety, it’s important to note that 41% of the 512 adults our police officers arrested for robbery in the past 12 months had prior felony convictions and had amassed 9,434 criminal charges in their backgrounds,” Serpas said. “That’s why police chiefs, sheriffs and prosecutors are urgently asking for a meaningful tightening of our state’s sentencing structure.”
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