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Kathy Jefcoats

Stories by Kathy

Targeted officials want DA off investigation

Three county commissioners, the county manager and the finance director want the Clayton District Attorney’s Office disqualified from investigating their alleged criminal misconduct, according to a filing Wednesday in Superior Court.

Driver in fatal crash won't deny charges

Filings claim unknown medical condition

JONESBORO — Filings in Clayton County Superior Court claim a Lithonia woman charged with an Aug. 25 crash that killed three teenagers suffers from an undiagnosed medical condition and that she has no memory of the incident.

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Deputies raid house, seize items related to credit card fraud, theft

A Mawli native charged with stealing credit card information faces deportation as Clayton County sheriff's investigators sort out a melange of evidence seized Tuesday from his house.

Resident offers gift of optimism

Voter sign-up drive honors him

William Thompson, a resident living at Lake City Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, will be giving his own speech today and spearheading a voter registration drive. All Americans have the right to vote without harassment and Thompson wants to provide a way for them to cast a ballot if they choose. It's his dream.

Candidate outlines platform in last-minute press release

A Clayton County sheriff’s candidate who didn’t participate in two public forums or provide answers to a questionnaire sent by Clayton News Daily issued a press release a week before the primary outlining his platform.

Suspect tells cops he wanted to be ‘hero’

Solicitor may seek reimbursement in case

A Hampton man who told police in May he thwarted a sniper pointing a rifle at a packed school bus has reportedly confessed to making up the story in order to be a hero and collect a reward.

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Road renamed in Daly’s memory

Slain deputy ‘won’t be forgotten’

The road that leads into the Justice Center from Tara Boulevard, meanders around the jail and behind the sheriff’s office to Poston Road was renamed Deputy Rick Daly Memorial Boulevard. Daly’s mother, Joyce Daly, wife Cheryl, daughter Amber Wright and son Fayette County sheriff’s Lt. Toby Daly and other relatives attended.

Police seek two in death case

Police are looking for two people of interest in connection with the suspicious death of a woman found inside her home June 14. Isabelle Mason, 62, was found dead inside her Lorraine Drive home by police who had been contacted by out-of-town relatives concerned for her welfare. No one else was inside the home, said police.

Convicted child molester indicted

A Rex man serving a 10-year sentence in state prison for child molestation was indicted in Clayton County Superior Court Wednesday on charges stemming from a 2004 allegation.

Joe’s Crab Shack robbed

Cops say ‘victim’ fished for details

Morrow police netted seven suspects in the June armed robbery of a popular seafood shack, an investigation that started when one of the victims started fishing for details from responding officers.

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Sex trafficker convicted

Former Ellenwood resident to be sentenced in September

A federal jury has convicted a former Ellenwood resident for operating a sex trafficking ring in the metro Atlanta area, said the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District.

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Rescues made easier

Agencies helping disabled residents

Clayton County Fire and Emergency Services has partnered with Shepherd Center to makes fire rescues easier. Fire Chief Jeff Hood said residents with permanent mobility impairments can register their addresses with the closest fire station so their addresses can be recorded and flagged in the dispatch database.

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Getting kids ready for school

Fund buys everything but apples

For the third year in a row, Clayton County Solicitor General Tasha Mosley is spearheading a back-to-school supplies drive for deserving students. About $7,000 from add-on fees from the Pre-Trial Intervention program is funding the drive.

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Ceremony today to rename road in honor of fallen sheriff’s deputy

Clayton County officials will host a ceremony this morning to rename Justice Center Road to Richard Joseph Daly Memorial Boulevard. The road heads west off Tara Boulevard and partially encircles the Harold R. Banke Justice Center, which houses the courthouse, jail and sheriff’s office.

City to county: Show us the money

Forest Park City Manager John Parker said he has been trying for months to get Clayton County Finance Department to release about $41,000 in funds earmarked for the city’s Tax Allocation District.

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Police release sketch of assault suspect

Clayton County police released a sketch of a man wanted in connection with Thursday’s armed sexual assault of a minor child in Lovejoy.

Trucker charged with sex with a minor

An Arizona trucker was arrested Sunday night in Forest Park for allegedly having sex with an underage prostitute, according to warrants issued to police.

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News Daily’s Jefcoats wins award

Reporter cited for coverage of slain deputy’s funeral

Clayton News Daily crime and courts reporter Kathy Jefcoats placed among the state’s top journalists in the Georgia Press Association’s 2012 Better Newspaper Contest.

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Deal appoints Clayton judge to council for justice reform

Clayton County’s chief Juvenile Court judge has been appointed by the governor to help reform the state’s criminal justice system, the Clayton News Daily has learned.

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Agencies join forces to combat crime

Neighborhoods near Norman Boulevard and Godby Road, adjacent to College Park and Fulton County, have been blanketed with police and deputies all month in response to complaints from residents about crime.

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Detail nets fugitives at motel

Busts cap three-day round-up

Clayton County sheriff's deputies raided a motel Thursday morning, arresting four fugitives and a fifth person accused of selling counterfeit crack cocaine.

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Child rapist gets 125 years

A Clayton County Superior Court judge sentenced a child rapist to 125 years in prison Thursday after a trial jury convicted him on 11 counts involving a victim who was just 8 years old when the abuse started.

More details expected in death of toddler

More details could be released today in Wednesday’s death of a Jonesboro toddler, said Clayton County police. Sgt. Otis Willis III said the investigation into the death of a 2-year-old is ongoing and more information could be released soon.

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Six arrested following raid

Six people have been arrested following Wednesday's raid of three local businesses on suspicion of illegal commercial gambling.

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Cops, DA target illegal gambling

Three Forest Park businesses raided

Forest Park police and Clayton County District Attorney investigators today raided three Forest Park businesses suspected of illegal gambling and arrested at least one person by noon.

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Five-year-old removed from Clayton drug raid

Tuesday’s arrests — in which a 5-year-old girl was carefully escorted out of the house with her grandfather — was part of a daylong sweep of Hunter Ridge Mobile Home Community by Clayton County sheriff’s investigators

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Seniors can beat the heat with free wind and water

With temperatures tipping triple digits, the health and well-being of homebound residents becomes paramount. To help them beat the heat, Clayton County Fire and Emergency Services partnered with Home Depot to donate 75 fans and 34 cases of bottled water to the county’s Senior Services program.

Clayton election: Sheriff's candidates

Sheriff's candidates

Clayton election: District Attorney candidates

District attorney candidates

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Teen killed by police was troubled, court records indicate

Accomplice may face murder charges

A Jonesboro man reportedly caught burglarizing a house with three others, including a 13-year-old shot and killed by Clayton County police officers, could face murder charges in the death, the Clayton News Daily has learned.

Officials dispute mother’s claim in jail birth death

An internal investigation into a premature delivery inside the Clayton County Jail shows contradictions between witnesses and the inmate who gave birth to the male fetus, the Clayton News Daily has learned through an open records request.

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No dough for bread company robbers

Two men broke into the Fayetteville Atlanta Bread Company but fled before getting any dough, said police.

Forest Park Youth Football requests use of stadium

The Forest Park City Council will take up a request Monday by the city's youth football league to use Kiwanis Stadium for football and cheerleading practices and games.

Fight reveals alleged incest

Police charge father, daughter

Police responding to a domestic dispute in College Park Friday learned the violence was rooted in an allegation of incest between a man and his adult daughter, who is reportedly HIV-positive.

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Driver pleads not guilty in deaths of 3 teens

A Lithonia driver charged in the 2011 deaths of three teenage pedestrians has pleaded not guilty, according to Clayton County Superior Court records.

Clayton candidates square off in forum

Sheriff, DA races contested

Five candidates for Clayton County sheriff took the floor for about an hour Thursday night during a forum at Clayton State University, answering questions concerning training, recidivism and reducing crime.

Getting hot up in here: Hot weather warnings issued

The hottest days of the year are forecast for this weekend and residents are urged to stay cool and hydrated.

Man busted for taking pics of woman undressing

A Jonesboro man was holding his 1-month-old baby girl as he used his cellphone to snap photos of a woman undressing inside a Goodwill store, said Fayetteville police.

GBI IDs teen shot by police

Accomplice makes court appearance

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has identified the Jonesboro teenager shot and killed by Clayton County police Wednesday during a residential burglary. GBI spokesman John Bankhead said Trevion Davis, 13, of Jonesboro died late Wednesday afternoon.

Locals caught in fed sting

Eight Clayton County residents were among more than 60 busted in a federal takedown of illegal gun trafficking in Atlanta, said officials Wednesday night.

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Grants a 'blessing' for neighborhoods

Marion Hutchinson could not hold back his emotions Thursday morning as he accepted a $750 grant to help fund a newly-formed Neighborhood Watch program in his subdivision. Hutchinson was one of 11 recipients of a grant from the Kem Kimbrough Foundation, awarded during a ceremony at Arts Clayton. Hutchinson got choked up and had trouble finishing his acceptance speech.

High court ruling delays Bun sentencing

The U.S. Supreme Court ruling earlier this week that teenage killers are exempt from serving life without parole has delayed today's sentencing of a Riverdale teen convicted last month in the shooting death of a Clayton County sheriff's deputy

Locals caught in fed sting

Eight Clayton County residents were among more than 60 busted in a federal takedown of illegal gun trafficking in Atlanta, said officials Wednesday night.

Clayton cops kill teen suspect

A 13-year-old burglary suspect was reportedly shot in the back of the head and killed Wednesday afternoon by a Clayton County police officer responding to a 911 call about a break-in in a Tara Boulevard neighborhood.

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Clayton candidates face tough questions from Teen Council

Candidates fielded tough questions Tuesday night from Forest Park Teen Council on subjects as diverse as the application of the death penalty and a backlog of criminal warrants.

Former inmate sues county over dead baby

A Hampton woman who gave premature birth while an inmate at the Clayton County Jail blames the county and the sheriff for failing to provide adequate care for her and the unborn fetus, which died about 75 minutes later.

Groups to be gifted with grants Thursday

Eleven local charitable organizations will get a cash boost Thursday through an award by the sheriff’s foundation, the Clayton News Daily has learned.

Day care owner, daughter indicted in tot’s death

The owner of a Jonesboro day care center and her daughter were indicted Wednesday in last summer’s death of a toddler left inside a van following a field trip to a popular pizza place, the Clayton News Daily has learned.

Morrow woman indicted as lookout

A Morrow woman has been indicted for her alleged role as lookout during a two-day crime spree, the Clayton News Daily has learned.

Clayton’s top cop gets Israeli training

Clayton County’s top law-enforcement leader went to Israel with about a dozen others for two weeks of intensive public safety training, the Clayton News Daily has learned.