Wednesday July 22, 2015
After the call Tuesday, Charlie and I knew we had to return to Alabama to check on things. We packed Tuesday night and left early Wednesday morning. Around noon we received a call from a witness and were informed Tyler was now hauling off the trailer and blue bus.
I called Judge Pow for guidance, and he said stealing was unlawful and advised me to file a warrant for arrest in Circuit Court. I had copies of Tyler’s bill of sale for the three items, though I suspected they were bogus, however I had not been able to prove it, but it was just a matter of time. I called the owner of the business where John Brooks purchased the trailer. He remembered the trailer and what a hard time they had getting it onto the property. This was 2015, and he said John had purchased it seven or eight years prior, which would be around 2007 or 2008. (John’s friend had told me 1999, at this point it really does not matter we know it was on the property in 2010) Tyler’s bill of sale was dated Jan. 24, 2013. I sent the business owner a copy of Tyler’s bill of sale, and he verified that it was not from his company. It had no signature. He assured me that nothing leaves his lot without a signature on the invoice. Chief Price did verify this information as well. We also had a Google Map photo of the trailer and buses on the property in 2010 proving once again John Brooks was the rightful owner.
The invoices for the yellow and blue buses provided by Tyler were dated April 21, 2013. The owner of the company told police that Tyler said he needed a bill of sale, so the business owner told Tyler to fill out the paperwork and he would sign it. This business where Tyler said he purchased the buses were entirely different from where John Brooks actually purchased the buses. (not that it matters) We stopped by the police department when we arrived in Woodstock, but no one was there. So, we rode over to Tyler’s grandmother’s house and took pictures of the three vehicles.
Next, we headed to Mary Grace’s property to take pictures and record the destruction to the property. See below:
The next morning, we went to the courthouse in Centreville to file the warrant. They said we would have to go though the Woodstock Police or the Sheriff’s Office. We opted for the Sheriff’s Office and were able to talk to the late Sheriff Keith Hanna (RIP). We shared our story and explained how every road had led to a dead end. He said, “Seems like this boy should have stayed home that day.”He called Chief Price to let him know we were on our way to his office to file a warrant against Tyler for trespassing. We gave Chief Price all the information and pictures we had gathered as proof. He happened to be meeting with the assistant district attorney that afternoon and said he would try to get approval for a warrant.
It was at this time Chief Price told us he had seen Tyler go by with the trailer and bus but was on a call at the time. Maybe it is just me, but I thought he should have at least called Tyler and asked what in the heck was he doing. He knew the judge had told Tyler not to go on the property, and the bills of sale had not been proved legitimate. John Brooks had used the buses and trailer to store some of his personal items so we asked what would happen to the property being stored in the vehicles, to me this needed to be settled. No one seemed to know the answer. Again, really? The law does not make clear what to do with stolen goods? Needless to say, when we left we put up a gate to the entrance of the property. I wondered if that’s why those people at the funeral offered to put up a gate. I was too naive.
A family member was interested in buying the piano that was still in the living/family room. So, Friday morning I met with an appraiser from Birmingham. The piano was something I needed to get rid of; it would bring in some cash for Mary Grace’s care, and I could not move it to storage. I picked up Mary Grace’s medicine and went to Attorney Downs office to make an appointment for Monday. I also went by the police station twice. No one was there. Then my life support arrived from Texas.
Friday was another busy day, nothing too bad. But hold on, tomorrow is another story.
Ok. Let’s keep talking.
Reta
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