Three arrested in home invasion
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, October 5, 2004
Three people have been arrested in connection with the Wednesday, Sept. 29 burglary, robbery and binding of an elderly Shelby woman.
According to Shelby County Sheriff Chris Curry, as a result of &uot;caring people calling our office,&uot; information was developed that led to the arrest of two the three.
He said Brandon Calop Seale, 20, of Calera and Holli Kristen Willis, 18, of Shelby were charged with burglary in the first degree, first degree robbery and unlawful imprisonment in the first degree with a total of $250,000 set for each defendant.
Floyd Lee Shackelford Jr., also known as J.R. Shackelford or J.R. Cox, a 23-year-old Shelby resident was arrested Monday without incident in rural Shelby.
The sheriff’s office announced his arrest by members of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division and the Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force.
Shackelford was armed with a rifle at the time, officials said.
Shackelford was being held in the Shelby County Jail at presstime on charges of first degree robbery, first degree burglary and first degree unlawful imprisonment with a total bond of $250,000.
The Sheriff’s Office also reported that while Seale remained in custody. Willis made bond on Oct. 1.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, on Sept. 29 at about 1:30 p.m. investigators responded to Shelby Hotel Road, south of Columbiana.
Neighbors had gone to check on Ruth Vick, 79, when they had not been able to contact her.
Vick was located inside the residence with her hands and feet bound. She was treated at the scene by medics from Southeast Shelby Rescue and then transported to Shelby Baptist Medical Center in Alabaster for evaluation of minor injuries.
The victim awoke at about 2 a.m. to find someone inside her home.
After she was bound, suspects searched the home, leaving with an undetermined amount of money.
As a result of media attention, officials said, information was provided to Sheriff’s Office patrol deputies and investigators by concerned and outraged citizens in the county.