Suspects charged with Bowdon murder
The plot thickened late last week in the case of the recovery in Roanoke of a car stolen from a Maryland murder victim.
Now that crime has been linked to the death of a Bowdon, Ga., man, and two of the suspects are from the Roanoke area.
Amanda Noel Herrman Robinson Spruill, 19, and James Tyrone Swann, 30, were arrested on Friday of last week in connection with the death of 80-year-old Julian Lovvorn Spruill of Bowdon. Amanda’s ex-husband is one of Mr. Spruill’s grandsons.
His son found Mr. Spruill on the night of Nov. 11. He had been beaten about the head and had a leather strap around his neck. He was taken to Atlanta Medical Center, but died on Nov. 21. Mr. Spruill’s family had hoped he would be able to tell them who had attacked him, but he never regained consciousness. There was no forced entry to the house.
According to Mr. Spruill’s obituary, he was a member of Corinth Baptist Church and retired from Bremen-Bowdon Investment Company after 33 years of employment. During that time, he worked his way from bundle boy to utility man and, eventually, to shop foreman. Mr. Spruill also enjoyed raising cattle and goats on his farm. He was an avid Rook player and enjoyed the games he would play almost daily at the Ranburne Senior Citizens Center. He was a loving grandfather and great-grandfather and enjoyed telling stories of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren to everyone he met.
Maryland connection
Amanda Spruill and Swann are also suspects in the Oct. 27 killing of Roosevelt C. Burke, 62, of Laurel, Prince George’s County, Md. Amanda’s mother lives in Maryland, and her father lives near Roanoke. Swann is from Maryland.
Following Mr. Spruill’s attack, Carroll County, Ga., officers were looking for a white Chevrolet Impala wanted in connection with that crime. Both investigators and the patrol division of Roanoke Police Department were familiar with the white Impala with after-market rims because it had been involved in a high-speed chase and stopped at Spectrum. The occupants had all been juveniles except for one adult black male, said Police Chief Adam Melton.
Then on Nov. 17, Roanoke police stopped the white 1999 Acura Integra that had belonged to Burke in Maryland. Two juveniles were inside.
According to Melton, investigators were looking at the similarity of the methods in both murder cases. They saw the common denominator in the cars as being one of the juveniles. They also believe he is a member of a group of juveniles linked to burglaries and auto thefts in Roanoke and Randolph County.
The 17-year-old Roanoke area juvenile caught driving the Maryland victim’s car has plead guilty to receiving stolen property and is now at the Department of Youth Services in Opelika. He is also charged with a burglary this past June at Choo-Choo Bar B-Q near Wedowee. Other burglary charges may be pending for him, as well as for other individuals.
Carroll County Sheriff Terry Langley said the juvenile doesn’t appear to be connected to the Bowdon crime; however, a grand jury meets in Maryland each week, and it’s possible he could face charges for the crime against Burke up there.
Langley said the suspects will be extradited back to Carroll County. Now detectives from Carroll County have been flown to Maryland to work with officers up there.
His son found Burke, the Maryland victim, in his ransacked townhouse after his father failed to show up for a church service the day before. He was said to be a friendly and helpful neighbor.
Cooperative effort
Investigators from Roanoke, Randolph County, Carroll County and Prince George’s County all met in Roanoke last week and shared information. Wednesday night of last week, they recovered a few guns, three of which were related to the Spruill murder. They interviewed witnesses and suspects in the cases, working way into the night Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, said Melton.
Amanda Spruill and Swann were taken into custody in Maryland on Georgia warrants for homicide. Witnesses from this area will be flown to Maryland to testify before the grand jury soon.
In September 2006, Amanda was indicted for forgery in the first degree. She faced the additional charge of possession of a forged instrument because she allegedly had counterfeit money in her possession.
She and her first ex-husband, Samuel Robinson, were investigated on suspicion of illegal drug activity, and during the course of that investigation, counterfeit money was recovered, according to Melton. Law enforcement seized their computers and copiers in the belief they were used to make the money. This was a joint investigation with the U.S. Secret Service. The computer-generated bills were passed at local fast food restaurants.
Because Ms. Spruill was granted pre-trial diversion in that case, the outcome of it is confidential.
Agencies involved in the case are Roanoke Police investigators and patrol divisions, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office investigators and crime scene unit, Prince George’s County Police Department investigators and crime scene unit, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshal Service and Randolph County Sheriff’s Office investigators.
“It was so impressive to watch all the different disciplines of law enforcement working together,” said Melton. “It took many man hours to bring the suspects in these violent and heinous crimes to justice.”
The Carroll County sheriff was appreciative of the work done here. He said, “We had a lot of cooperation. We could not have ended with an arrest without their help and their assistance. Our detectives were there for several days and they were there with us. When agencies work together as Roanoke and Randolph County did with our detectives, then the criminal element doesn’t have much of a chance. So many times the crooks try to use the state line as an asset to them, but with the kind of cooperation I saw with your people – they’re very professional. Your citizens ought to be pleased with the officers they have.”
