With the second degree murder plea by William Justin Harrison of Afton Thursday, five more murder related cases in Greene County Criminal Court still remain on the docket. Harrison entered a Alford plea in the March 2024 shooting death of 73 year old Clarence Lee Devoti at Devoti’s Old Stage Road residence.
Circuit Court Clerk Whitney Collins defined the Alford Plea as a best interest plea, rather than a trial by jury.
The plea requires Harrison to serve the entire 25 years behind bars, with no early release. The time will be served consecutive to a Violation of Probation.
The oldest active murder case still on the books involves Lavelle Scott. The February 2020 case in the death of his five year old daughter has been continued eight times. Scott is charged with first degree murder and child neglect. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Scott later this month. In another case related to a pursuit by Sheriff’s Deputies, Scott faces a May trial on a charge of reckless endangerment.
A criminal motions hearing is scheduled January 13th for Jordan Michael Allen, who is charged with two counts of first degree murder in the deaths of his seven year old brother Jesse Allen and fifty nine year old grandmother Sherry Cole in April 2022. A hammer was used as the murder weapon at their Old Snapps Ferry Road home. Jordan Allen was sixteen at the time.
Ronald Leon Hale of Jeffries Lane in Mosheim is scheduled for a September 8th jury trial in the first degree murder of Phillip Seay in February 2022.
Two other murder suspects are currently scheduled for arraignment March 31st.
A Greene County Grad Jury could possibly hear evidence in the cases of Guy Bunch and Jesse Wilhoit earlier that month.
Bunch is charged with second degree murder in the death of his father Anthony Bunch in February of 2024 at their Shady Grove Lane home in Mosheim.
Wilhoit is charged with two counts of first degree murder in the deaths of his parents Cassandra and Ray Allen Wilhoit at their Hartman Lane residence in October of last year.
