The Littleville Ambush

 

The annals of Colbert County, Alabama, hold a dark chapter from the summer of 1963—the brazen ambush and murder of Sheriff Hermon "Red" Cook. A figure respected for his dedication to law enforcement, Cook’s death, alongside Littleville Police Chief James Cornelius "Neal" Pace, sent shockwaves through the community and underscored the perilous realities of combating entrenched illegal enterprises in the American South.

Hermon "Red" Cook, a former Alabama State Trooper, had only been in office for eight months, having assumed his duties in January 1963. He was known for his honesty and unwavering commitment to his role, characteristics that likely put him in direct conflict with the prevalent bootlegging operations of the era. It was this very commitment that led him, on August 18, 1963, to a fateful confrontation.

On that Sunday, Sheriff Cook, Chief Pace, and Deputy Sheriff Donald Files were conducting a raid on a suspected bootlegging site near Littleville. The property belonged to Troy Thornton, a man with a history of bootlegging arrests. Unbeknownst to the officers, Thornton, who had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer and reportedly felt he had little to lose, was lying in wait. As the lawmen approached a shack on the property, Thornton opened fire.

The ambush was sudden and brutal. Both Sheriff Cook and Chief Pace were struck and killed. Deputy Files sustained injuries in the attack. The assailant, Thornton, fled the scene, prompting an extensive manhunt involving numerous law enforcement officers. The following day, facing overwhelming pressure, Thornton surrendered to authorities; however, justice in a courtroom would never be fully realized. On September 3, 1963, Troy Thornton was found dead in his cell at the Franklin County Jail, succumbing to his illness.

The murders of Sheriff Cook and Chief Pace cast a pall over Colbert County and the wider North Alabama region. The community mourned the loss of two dedicated public servants, and their deaths served as a stark reminder of the dangers inherent in enforcing prohibition-era laws that, while on the books, were often flouted, leading to violent confrontations. Editorials at the time lamented the hypocrisy of a system where such illegal activities could flourish, ultimately costing the lives of those sworn to uphold the law.

The legacy of Sheriff "Red" Cook endures in the memory of Colbert County. His brief but impactful tenure, cut short by a bootlegger's bullet, speaks to a period of significant social and legal tension. The tragic events of August 18, 1963, remain a somber testament to the sacrifices made by law enforcement officers in the line of duty and the profound impact such losses have on the communities they serve.

Governor George Wallace, whether for political gain or out of genuine concern for the Cook family, appointed the sheriff's widow Mary Frances McCollum Cook to complete her late husband's term. Mrs. Cook died in 2002, and both she and her husband are interred at Oakwood Cemetery in Tuscumbia.

Three Years to Identify Her Body - 2025 Update

 

Courtney Vivian Staggs, mother of five, was living on Piedmont Street in Florence when she went missing in 2020. Also known as Courtney Barrett, the 35 year-old sometimes called herself "Hot Alabama Girl" online. 

From the Florence Police Department on August 18, 2020: Courtney Staggs was last seen Monday (8/10/2020) in the Florence, AL area. Courtney is 5'05" with green eyes and brown hair. She was last seen wearing a black shirt and black pants with sandals. 

The Florence woman's last sighting was near the 600 block of East Irvine Avenue where she had been visiting a client who stated she appeared normal when she left. Due to certain aspects of her last known hours, she was listed as endangered.

There was no further news of Courtney until October when her EBT card was found in Lil Caesar's Pizza in Florence Plaza. Despite the find, no CCTV cameras picked up either Courtney or anyone who could possibly have been using the card.

Then, in November, hunters found the remains of a female body in a wooded area off Jarmon Lane. After viewing items found with the body, family members believed the deceased was Courtney, but needed to wait for DNA confirmation. A daughter provided her DNA for testing, and the wait began.

The body was initially sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences which failed to make a positive identification. From there, the body traveled to the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia.

On May 20, 2024, the Colbert County Sheriff's Office received word that the remains definitely belonged to Courtney, and a death certificate was issued on May 22nd. Her family held a memorial service on May 31st, but for Colbert Sheriff Eric Balentine, the work was just beginning.

Balentine has indicated that he expects the case to go swiftly at this point. He has persons of interest, as well as statements linking them to Staggs' last hours. While Courtney's family awaits an arrest, one relative expressed thanks for a major hurdle in the case: Courtney Vivian Staggs is now buried beside her mother.

In January 2025, Orlando Javier Whiteside of Leighton was arrested and charged with abuse of a corpse in Staggs' death. Authorities stated he was with Courtney at the time of her death and helped dispose of her body in a field near his home.

At the time of his arrest, the 57 year-old Whiteside was awaiting trial in Colbert County on two drug related arrests. Whiteside quickly posted bond.

In April of 2025, Paron Que Dillard of Clearview, Florida, was also arrested. The 66 year-old Dillard posted a 2.5K bond and was released.

Authorities have stated that the cause of Staggs' death has not yet been fully determined and the investigation into her death remains ongoing.

The Murder of the Mayor's Son's Baby Mama

 

In October 2020, a mayoral runoff race was underway when local media began to receive communications from a woman who had a revelation about Florence candidate Andrew Eloyde Betterton. Virginia Rosemary McDougal shared her sad story, but its ending less than three years later was even more tragic. 

In 1999, at the age of 16, McDougal, sometimes known as Gingersnapps, discovered she was pregnant. The child's father was Jacob Andrew Betterton, then 20. (He's shown below after a 2013 arrest for domestic assault.)

Neither Virginia nor Jacob wished to raise the child; in fact, Jacob refused to sign the birth certificate, forcing his parents to intervene. (Jacob's parents Andy and Jan are shown below in a rustic engagement photo.) 

By this time, Andy and his first wife Jan D. Goggans had been divorced for some years. Goggans, who is described by friends as attractive, vivacious, and everything Andy wasn't, was living and teaching in Madison County. Her less than stellar ex-partner had remained in Florence after obtaining his degree from the University of North Alabama. According to Virginia, it was Andy who initially took the child in.

McDougal didn't reveal much in her communications as to how her son Christopher Jackson Betterton was raised, only that she remained in touch with him as she attempted to conquer the drug problems in her life. By September 2020, the boy known as Jack was in Chambers County, Texas, a part of the Houston metropolitan area. While there, he and a friend experienced some serious legal difficulties:

The two young men posted a bond, which they quickly violated by returning to Northwest Alabama. It was then that things took a dark turn.

Virginia began to receive phone calls from a Texas man who accused Jack and his confederate of skipping town with his money and drugs. If the two young men didn't make it "right," there would be serious consequences for all of them.

Desperate for help, but unwilling to contact the police, Virginia turned to Jack's grandfather Andy. McDougal told her media contacts that Betterton refused to help his grandson; she wanted the public to know before the upcoming election.

Was her story true? No one published Virginia McDougal's accusations, possibly since those she contacted may have felt Betterton did the right thing. Did he?

In the four years following the incident, Jack Betterton has been arrested multiple times in both Lauderdale and Madison Counties, as well as being extradited back to Texas to face his charges in Chambers County. His arrests include DUI, Resisting Arrest, and Assault, with his most recent coming just days before Thanksgiving 2024.

Nor were these years productive for Virginia. If she was ever again threatened by Jack's crime boss contacts in Texas, she never reported it. McDougal continued to live in the Underwood community, but not peacefully. Eventually, Gingersnapps became a statistic.

On April 6, 2023, McDougal's family members found her unresponsive in the Arnold Lane home she shared with 58 year-old Dwayne L. Pigg with whom she had co-habited for some time. Pigg was later found in a shed behind the house with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot would to the head.

Pigg had at least two previous arrests for violating a Protection from Abuse order that had been granted Virginia. Why had the couple remained together? Was Pigg the real killer?

It would seem so; the violent boyfriend had left what were described by the sheriff's department as "notes and letters" around the home and a handgun by his body. Pigg apologized in his writings for his deadly actions.

It was an extremely sad ending for the 40 year-old Virginia McDougal who was the mother of four children in addition to Jack Betterton. She had related in her communications to the media that she felt she at last had some control over her life. Sadly, it's not always possible to weed out the dysfunction in a family. This family group would seem to be a striking example.

The Body by the Side of the Road

 

She had no regular job. Her parents were deceased, and her boyfriend helped send her to jail. Did no one care that in death her body lay beside a busy highway for weeks?

The temperature in Florence on September 1, 2016, was 95 degrees at 2:00 p.m. It had been a brutally hot summer, and the advent of colloquial Autumn brought no relief. That Thursday morning, an Alabama Department of Transportation employee was operating a mower along the right-of-way on Helton Drive between Huntsville Road and Florence Boulevard. The area had not been mowed since May, and the worker was expecting to encounter trash along with the high grass, but he wasn't prepared for what he found 15 feet from the busy thoroughfare. 

Lying deep within the tall vegetation was a body. Officers who quickly arrived on the scene found a badly decomposed body dressed in a shirt and pants. Due to the body's state of advanced decay and generic clothing, it was impossible to ascertain the sex of the deceased from simple observation. Authorities then sent the body to the state forensics laboratory in Huntsville for an autopsy.

Due to the condition of the body, an exact cause of death could not be determined, but the deceased was identified as 39 year-old Chrysty Lynn Copeland. The Florence woman had a minor arrest record, mainly involving domestic violence charges, and Florence police chief Ron Tyler reported that Copeland had left the Lauderdale County Detention Center on foot on August 4th. That Thursday was the last day that Chrysty was seen alive.

Oddly, Copeland's boyfriend reported her missing on the day her body was discovered. Did no one miss Copeland during the 28 days she had seemingly vanished?

Authorities speculated that Chrysty had left the detention center on a day the temperature reached 94 degrees. She traveled down Veterans Drive to Helton and then north, apparently attempting to reach her home in the Greenbriar area. Due to the condition of her body, autopsy results were inconclusive, but Chief Tyler reported that Copeland had numerous health issues.

Once the State released the body of Chrysty Lynn Copeland, her remains were cremated and her ashes given to a friend. There is no permanent memorial for Chrysty. 

Sadly, in the eight years since Copeland's death, others have disappeared after leaving the LCDC, but have not been found in the same dramatic way. Perhaps the best way to honor Chrysty Copeland's memory would be to establish a transportation fund that would assist these individuals in making their way home safely?

John Wesley Akin: From Habitat to Heroin - 12/24 Update

From 2013:

John Wesley Akin, 25, graduated from Birmingham Southern College in May 2010 with a Bachelor's Degree in Economics and Business Administration. Akin’s resume’ claims a 3.6 GPA and memberships in enough honor societies to field a basketball team. Among his charitable endeavors was work with Habitat for Humanity and Urban Ministries.

The first indication the public gleaned of John Wesley Akin's fall from golden boy was in 2011 when he robbed an outdoor shop. Then in June 2013, Akin's actions took a much more sinister turn:

Akin, who lists his residence as 529 North Seminary Street in the University District, and David Ros, also of Florence, were arrested in Morgan County on Monday for trafficking in heroin. This isn’t Akin’s first criminal rodeo. In May 2011, he was arrested for burglarizing Alabama Outdoors in its former location on Courtwalk. From pilfering ladies’ jackets, Akin has risen to become what some are calling a key player in the North Alabama heroin trade.

Akin lists his current employment as a sales representative for a Shoals communication firm. It seems likely his future may hold a career in license plate manufacture.

If found guilty, what kind of sentence may Akin expect? According to this, at least 15 years with no good time or parole:

In the State of Alabama, drug trafficking is selling drugs over certain threshold amounts that are different for each type of drug. They include:

More than 2.2 pounds of marijuana
At least 28 grams of cocaine or a mixture containing cocaine
At least four grams of heroin, morphine, opium or other opiates
Five hundred or more pills of hydromorphone (Dilaudid, Palladone)
At least 28 grams of 3,4-methylenedioxy amphetamine (Ecstasy, MDMA)
Four grams or more of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)
At least 28 grams of amphetamine, methamphetamine or related drugs

Punishments vary according to the amount, from three years to life without parole, plus heavy fines starting at $50,000. Possession of a firearm while violating this law adds five years to the sentence. If there is any prior felony on your record, you face an enhanced sentence of at least 15 years to life, as a “habitual felony offender.” These are mandatory minimum sentences that don’t allow early parole or time off for good behavior, and they cannot be suspended, deferred or withheld unless the defendant helps the state arrest or convict co-conspirators.

In addition, the state may charge you with involvement in a drug trafficking enterprise if you had a managerial role in a group of at least five other people who trafficked in drugs, and you earned more than the minimum wage by doing so. That charge carries a penalty of 25 years to life for the first offense.

Another arrest quickly followed in July:

John Wesley Akin of Florence was arrested on July 8th in Morgan County and charged with heroin trafficking. Authorities say a member of Akin’s immediate family provided bond for the 25 year old Birmingham Southern graduate. Now sources in Florida have stated that on July 16th, Akin was arrested in Ft. Walton Beach for the fraudulent use of a credit card. Akin remains in the Walton County Jail, and sources say if he should make bond in Florida, he will be returned to Morgan County and held without bail. PNS has also learned that Akin was free on bond in Lauderdale County at the time of his trafficking arrest. Florence police had arrested Akin on May 20th of this year for the possession and use of drug paraphernalia.

A bail jumping charge followed in January 2014:

John Wesley Akin, currently under arrest/indictment for several drug trafficking charges in Alabama and Florida, has been arrested again in the Shoals. Akin, 25, was arrested on November 14th for Second Degree Bail Jumping. The charge relates to a defendant not showing up on the appointed court date and may prove to be the least of Akin’s worries. The reputed heroin trafficker remains free on bond at this time.

In May, Akin went missing for 24 hours. His family issued a plea for any help in finding him, and he was soon located and allowed to remain out of jail on bond. A month later, Akin was arrested again...this time for trafficking:

John Wesley Akin of Florence is currently under indictment in Florida and two counties in Alabama for theft, fraudulent use of a credit card, and…the biggie…heroin trafficking. Akin, 26, was arrested again early this morning on the outskirts of Greenbriar Subdivision in Florence and charged with possession of heroin and drug paraphernalia. Authorities say once the heroin, all stored in small plastic bags, is weighed, Akin may face another charge of trafficking. He currently faces a sentence of 25 years day for day with no possibility of parole or work release.

FPD now says the charge against Akin is indeed trafficking. The sentence, if Akin is found guilty, would be determined by the amount of heroin found and previous convictions. There is no plea bargaining in trafficking cases, and Akin could expect a sentence for this charge to range between three years and life.

The FPD Statement:

“A Florence Man has been arrested and charged with Trafficking in Heroin. Florence Police have arrested John Wesley Akin, 26, of Florence after patrol Sgt. Randal Holt conducted a traffic stop for traffic violations early this morning. While investigating the traffic violations, officers discovered a large amount of heroin in the possession of Akin. Officers and drug agents also located paraphernalia in Akin’s vehicle. Akin is currently being held in the Lauderdale County Detention Center on $26,000 bond.”

In October, Akin received his first sentence in connection with the heroin charges:

John Wesley Akin of Florence has been sentenced to 15 years for trafficking in less than 14 grams of heroin in Morgan County. He also is serving two lesser sentences from Lauderale County. He is currently in the Limestone Correctional Facility and is still awaiting trial for heroin trafficking in Florence. The current projected release date for the 26 year old Akin is October 14, 2019–meaning he is currently receiving Correctional Incentive Time.

It would be over a year later before Akin was sentenced in Lauderdale County. From December 2015:

John Wesley Akin, 27, accepted a 20 year plea deal on drug trafficking charges on December 8th, 2015. Akin is currently serving a 17 year sentence in the Limestone Correctional Facility on similar charges in Morgan County. Sentenced as a habitual offender for a Class A felony, the Florence man will not be eligible for correctional incentive time, but will be eligible for parole under new sentencing guidelines. If he serves his entire sentence for heroin/drug trafficking, Akin will be 47 when he leaves prison in 2035.

By January 2016, Akin was back in Limestone:

According to the Alabama Department of Corrections, John Wesley Akin has been granted a “jail time credit” of 545 days to be applied to his newest two concurrent sentences for drug trafficking. Akin’s new scheduled release date is July 5, 2034. Akin is also eligible for parole at some point; however, a date has not yet been set.

As this is published in Shoals Crime, Akin still has no parole date set. His Lauderdale sentence of 20 years was for possession; however, his Morgan sentence was for trafficking, meaning no parole consideration until at least 2029. Akin's family has the money to hire the best parole attorneys, so almost anything is possible.

At this point, John Wesley Akin has been incarcerated in jail and the Limestone Correctional Facility for three and a half years. What he will be like at the end of 15 is anyone's guess.

From December 2018: John Wesley Akin, 30, is now in the custody of a halfway house where, according to probation authorities, he must spend one year. Akin was granted the conditional parole on March 13th of this year after serving only five years of his 20 year sentence.

According to the state, Akin is closely supervised and is not allowed to live or travel on his own. Until the parole, Akin has been serving his sentence for heroin trafficking at the Limestone Correctional Facility. Inmates are usually required to serve slightly over seven years of a 20 year sentence before being eligible for such programs.

*****

Sadly, all didn't go well for Akin. According to friends, the newly minted parolee told them he was free from almost all restrictions. This in itself should have raised some red flags somewhere, but apparently didn't.

January 2021: According to law enforcement, John Wesley (Wes) Akin was taken into custody on January 14th, charged with a parole violation. The now 33 year old Akin remains in the Lauderdale County Detention Center as of Friday morning.

No more details have been released concerning the violation, but Akin could either serve a relatively short "dip" in the county jail and be released or be returned to prison if his infraction is deemed more serious. His end of sentence is officially July 5, 2034.

March 2021: John Wesley Akin is again a free man after serving a 45 day dunk in the Lauderdale County Detention Center. Sources told Shoals Crime that a Lauderdale County Judge is hoping this dunk will be the deterrent the young man needs to keep on the right path. A spokesperson with the state parole system indicated some parolees are allowed up to three dips/dunks before being returned to finish their entire sentence.

Again, family and friends are left with only hope.

*****

December 2024: After 45-day dunks in February 2021, May 2021, and August 2024, Wes Akin was returned to the Alabama prison system on December 12, 2024. According to the DOC, Akin was classified as a "Recaptured Parole Violator," having been captured in Nashville, Tennessee, in July 2024,

The former heroin dealer was transferred in the early morning hours from the Lauderdale County Detention Center to Kilby Receiving outside Montgomery. He will again be eligible for parole on October 1, 2029. If John Wesley Akin fails to make parole, his end of sentence will be May 8, 2036. He will be 48 years old.

Gene Weems: Missing & Declared Dead

 

On Thursday, June 5, 1997, Robert Eugene Weems walked away from his home on Julian Street in Petersville around 9:00 p.m. and has never officially been seen again. Gene lived with his family who told Lauderdale County investigators that the missing man had left behind identification, money, and medicine. While it wasn't unusual for the bi-polar 30 year-old to leave his home when stressed, it was out of character for him to remain away for a lengthy period of time.

On Sunday, June 8th, there was a credible sighting of Gene walking along Cox Creek Parkway between North Wood Avenue and Jackson Road. Since the young man had been known to walk in that area before, the Weems family felt this was a good place to begin a ground search.

At that time, Lauderdale County had a "Crisis Action Team," and six members volunteered to search the wooded areas around that section of the parkway on Monday, June 23rd. The timing meant that early Summer vegetation was at its peak, and members were hampered by impassable areas. At the end of the day, no sign of Gene Weems had been found. Searchers continued with a water search of Cypress Creek the next day, but again turned up nothing.

During this time frame, authorities were made aware of two possible out-of-state sightings - one in Mississippi and one in Savannah, Tennessee; however, detectives were never able to associate the transients with Gene. While local authorities continued to keep the case open, new information was not forthcoming.

In September 2006, Willard Eugene (Bill) Weems had his son declared dead. Bill died four years later without any news of his son who would now be 56. Gene Weems' name still has a place on the State of Alabama missing persons list - No. Laud00952, which identifies him as endangered and is one of its oldest cases.

Was Robert Eugene Weems the victim of an actual crime? That's something we may never know.

Murder on the Joe Wheeler Plantation

 

Murder at Pond Spring tells the story of the May 3, 1871, murder of Dandridge Thompson Galey (Gailey) by the brother-in-law of Gen. Joe Wheeler. The account is written by Mike Walker, a descendant of the victim.

The book is a private printing with only a few copies remaining. For purchasing information, you may contact the author via his Facebook page:

Mike Walker