Just 8 days after the December 10, 2021 tornado that struck Mayfield and Graves County, several suspects were arrested for stealing tornado damaged vehicles from an area that was especially hit hard. The Cardinal and Pritchett Road areas. This was also an area that suffered numerous deaths.
Extra sheriff’s patrols had been set up in this area due to numerous thefts and looting being reported. Calloway County Chief Deputy Jody Cash (whom has since been murdered and killed in the line of duty) was in our county assisting with these extra patrols, reported seeing several tornado damaged vehicles being towed out of the area on Pritchett Road and approaching US Hwy 45 South.
Graves and Calloway Sheriff’s units, and KSP troopers stopped the convoy of vehicles. It was found that the vehicles were all in fact stolen from victims homes that were destroyed in the tornado, that had been displaced by the tornado, still currently in the hospital from injuries suffered during the tornado, or that were killed. Other items recovered from the suspects and the vehicles were items that included a variety of personal items belonging to tornado victims, including some household goods, new shoes, muddy change, copper wiring and other items.
All suspects arrested in this case has had their cases adjudicated with the exception of one suspect whom had been identified as the ringleader of the theft ring.
53 year old Linda K. Morris of the Dresden Tennessee area had plead guilty to these theft charges in Graves Circuit Court and was scheduled to be sentenced to 8 years in prison on February 03, 2023. She was out on bond and failed to appear in court, jumping bail. She is also currently wanted on outstanding charges in Ballard and Fulton County Kentucky. She is a w/f 5’7, weighing approx 200lbs. A photo is attached. $123,980.00 in U.S. Currency was seized from one of the suspects arrested and has since been turned over to federal authorities in Tennessee related to an ongoing drug trafficking investigation.
Shortly after this incident, myself along with other officials from Graves County testified before a congressional panel in Frankfort concerning the uptick in thefts and looting from our county after the tornado. An emergency declaration had been declared.
As a result of this specific case and others, an addition to the penalty section of the theft law in Kentucky was added and went into effect July 14, 2022. It reads as follows: ((j) The offense occurs during a declared emergency as defined by KRS 39A.020 arising from a natural or man-made disaster, within the area covered by the emergency declaration, and within the area impacted by the disaster, in which case the person shall be charged one (1) level higher than the level otherwise specified in this subsection.)
Anyone with any information as to the whereabouts of Linda K. Morris area asked to contact the Graves County Sheriff’s Office or any other law enforcement agency.
Sheriff Jon Hayden
Sheriff Jon Hayden
1102 Paris Road Suite 6
Mayfield, Ky 42066
Ph. (270) 247-4501
Fax. (270) 247-7674
FB@GravesCountySheriff’sOffice
