Alibi check

YOKNAPATAWPHA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT

Investigating Officer(s): Det. T. Armstrong, Det. S. Murphy
Incident No.: 000989-22B-2020
Case Description: Laurie Daniels homicide investigation

Investigators have compiled the following summary of the witnesses alibis for December 29 and 30, 2020. Information on the results of attempts to verify the alibis is also included.

Confirmation types:


Tucker Allison

Description: Discovered vandalism and bucket scenes on his farm in Taylor

Alibi: Allison said he was working on his farm.

Possible Motive: None known.

Confirmed? Tentative. Allison's wife and child confirm, but no independent corroboration was found.

Tucker Allison's alibi

Forrest Burgess

Description: Victim's ex-fiancé

Alibi: Burgess originally claimed he'd had no contact with Laurie after his visit to New Orleans with Callie Shivers in May 2019. Subsequently, he admitted he picked up Laurie at the Memphis airport on December 29th and took her to his residence at that time in Coles Point. He claimed Laurie vanished from that residence, and he was unable to locate her.

Possible Motive: Spurned lover who became obsessed with the victim's decadent lifestyle.

Confirmed? No. Circumstantial evidence corroborates Burgess' trip to Memphis on December 29, 2019, but not that Laurie returned to Oxford with him willingly or unwillingly or that she left his presence at any time subsequent.

Forrest Burgess' alibi

Bart Daniels

Description: Victim's father

Alibi: Mr. Daniels claimed he'd had no contact with Laurie since she left town in 2013. He said he was at home on December 29th and 30th.

Possible Motive: May have been abusive parent who may be implicated in death/disappearance of his other daughter, Melanie.

Confirmed? No.

Bart Daniels' alibi

Bonnie Daniels

Description: Victim's mother

Alibi: Mrs. Daniels said she was hosting a baby shower for a friend in Natchez, MS, on the afternoon of December 29, 2019. She later admitted she'd sent Laurie money to return to Oxford, but claimed she never saw Laurie after that and didn't know if she'd really used the money to come home.

Possible Motive: May have feared exposure of her husband's alleged inappropriate behavior with one or both daughters.

Confirmed? Partially. Witness Sophie Gleason confirmed that Daniels was in Natchez, approximately four hours away from Oxford, until 5:00 p.m. on December 29th. No corroboration of her whereabouts later that night and the next day except from her husband.

Bonnie Daniels' alibi

Simon DeVille

Description: Witness

Alibi: DeVille said he had verbal but not physical contact with a woman at Willie's Fuel & Bait around 2:00 a.m. on December 30, 2019, and claimed that woman was picked up by another woman in a red car. However, DeVille did not identify the first woman as Laurie Daniels and could not provide a description of the woman who picked her up beyond saying she was Caucasian and had light-colored hair.

Possible Motive: None known.

Confirmed? Tentative. Willie and Doreen Carlisle confirmed that Mr. DeVille regularly visited their store overnight to pick up ice, but neither witnessed him at that location in the overnight hours of December 29 or 30, 2019.

Simon DeVille's alibi

Montell LaBeau AKA Dr. Yah Yah

Description: Victim's former mentor/lover

Alibi: Unknown. LaBeau's current whereabouts are unknown. His abandoned apartment was strewn with evidence related to black magic.

Possible Motive: May have been upset that Daniels left him and their personal or religious relationship.

Confirmed? No.

Dr. Yah Yah's alibi

Callie Shivers

Description: Victim's former lover

Alibi: Shivers said she was at Austins Music overseeing guitar repairs and Square Books on the afternoon of December 29 and was rehearsing with her band on December 30.

Possible Motive: Jealousy, revenge.

Confirmed? Yes. Austins Music employees and Square Books customers and employees confirm her whereabouts on the 29th. Other members of Kitten Sack confirm her whereabouts on the 30th.

Callie Shivers' alibi

Reggie Simms

Description: Victim's former lover, victim's sister's former love interest

Alibi: Simms said he never left Pittsburgh.

Possible Motive: Alleged romantic relationship gone wrong. Possibly covering up secret whereabouts of Melanie Daniels.

Confirmed? Yes. Employer records show Simms was at work in Pittsburgh on December 29th and 30th.

Reggie Simms' alibi

JC Strong

Description: Witness

Alibi:  Strong claimed he was sleeping in a post office back room in Memphis from approximately 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on December 29th, then went to The Gentlemen's Cabana, spent some time with one of their dancers, then left around 10:00 p.m. to return to Oxford. Claimed he was at home all day on the 30th.

Possible Motive: Could have been attempting to "convert" Callie Shivers by removing the object of her affection.

Confirmed? Partially. A Gentlemen's Cabana dancer confirmed that Strong arrived at club around 5:00 p.m. and stayed with her until 10:00 p.m. Strong's brother, Roy, confirmed he was at home on the 30th, but no independent corroboration was found.

JC Strong's alibi

Roy Strong

Description: Witness

Alibi: Strong said he had drinks at The Roadhouse all afternoon with Marshall Pidgin and several other men, all of whom account for Strong's presence.

Possible Motive: None known.

Confirmed? Partially. Pidgin and others confirmed Strong's presence at The Roadhouse the afternoon of the 29th. Strong's brother, JC, confirmed he was at JC's residence on the 30th, but no independent corroboration was found.

Roy Strong's alibi