Special Grand Jury To Get Hargon Murder Case (Hargon found guilty gets death penalty )

Thread One ^ | 03-01-04

[WKB]

Thread # 2

THREAD ONE

ADDED PER REQUEST

TAYLORSVILLE, Miss. (AP) -- After two days of intensive searching, investigators say they've exhausted any hope of finding the missing Yazoo County family near the property of a relative suspected in the case.

"We've done everything we can do here," State Highway Patrol spokesman Warren Strain said. "We've exhausted all the information we have developed regarding this site and the buildings on it."

Investigators had been searching near the 160-acre property of Earnest Lee Hargon. Strain said Hargon will be arraigned Monday in Yazoo County on multiple felony charges. Hargon was charged Sunday in Smith County with a drug and firearms violation.

Hargon is a suspect in the disappearance of Michael and Rebecca Hargon and their 4-year-old son, James Patrick.

Strain said prosecutors in Yazoo County will continue with their case against Earnest Hargon.

"Not being able to locate the Hargon family will have zero effect on going forward with the charges," Strain said.

Strain said there was "a laundry list" of possible charges that could be filed in Yazoo County, but declined to specify any of them.

Authorities have not said whether they believe the family members are still alive. Blood and spent bullet casings were discovered at the family's home in Yazoo County. Investigators have not found a .22-caliber weapon that apparently was fired in the home.

Earnest Hargon, an adopted cousin of Michael Hargon, was named in a single charge of possession of methamphetamines while also in possession of a firearm. Hargon was carrying less than an ounce of the drug, authorities said Sunday. The firearm is an AR-15 assault rifle, which Strain said could be converted into an automatic weapon.

Strain said possible evidence was found Saturday at Hargon's property in Smith County but would not elaborate.

Investigators also have been checking a piece of land that Michael Hargon recently inherited from his uncle, Charles Hargon, to determine if it is linked to the disappearance, said Jennifer Hargon, Michael's sister. Earnest Hargon, Charles Hargon's adopted son, was not included in the will, she said.

Strain said the Madison County property is a consideration in the case, but not necessarily a motive.

"It could be a potential motive, but it's not the only one," Strain said, adding that other evidence collected in the searches has linked Hargon to the family's disappearance. He declined to elaborate.

Smith County Sheriff Charlie Crumpton said an arraignment for Hargon had not been set on the drug and weapons charge, but he said it would occur before Wednesday.

Earnest Hargon was being still being held in an undisclosed location.

No big developments emerged on Sunday, although Crumpton said significant progress had been made.

Several people were questioned but were not detained, Strain said.

Lisa Ainsworth, the wife of Earnest Hargon, has been questioned at least twice, Strain said. When asked whether she provided evidence against Earnest Hargon, Strain declined to comment.

Authorities closed off a county road on both sides of Leaf River Veterinary Services. The clinic is on Earnest Hargon's property and his wife works there as a veterinarian, Strain said.

The search area included the clinic, Earnest Hargon's residence, several other buildings and the banks of the nearby Leaf River, Strain said.

Earnest Hargon's brother-in-law, John Ainsworth, 24, described Hargon as an outgoing guy not capable of kidnapping a family. He said the investigation has been hard on his sister, Lisa Ainsworth, who has been happily married to Earnest Hargon for almost eight years.

"It's really a surprise," John Ainsworth said of the speculation of Earnest Hargon's possible involvement in the family's disappearance. "She (Lisa) is dealing with it. It's been pretty hard on her."

Taylorsville Mayor Ron Walker said Lisa Ainsworth, tends to the animals on his farm and he has met Earnest Hargon, who he called "quiet and cordial."

"Lisa is the vet in town. She and her family are well known," Walker said. "Her family is well-respected hardworking people. I'm sorry they're having to go through this."

Janette Brewer, 48, who teaches Earnest Hargon's 16-year-old son, said she is praying for the missing family," Brewer said. "We want them to be found hopefully alive."

Authorities Abandon Smith County Search

Taylorsville 02/29/04 Updated at 9:25pm

[pamlet]

Thanks SO much!! Spending time w/the family this evening and just catching up on the thread!!

[dixiechick2000]

Might as well post it here. It's too good to leave over there.;o)


To: Letitring
"You have any ideas on who we will end up with? DO you think Jennifer will be caught up in all this? Do you think it'll turn out to be one big drug ring, or something?"

As I said way back in post 3117, the whole disappearance scenario has "drug deal gone bad" written all over it, to me. I'm wondering if the white van was part of a drug delivery that was taking place at the farm that morning.......maybe Michael either stumbled onto it or was there intentionally. Bullet casings and blood found inside the truck, along with blood on the truck's undercarriage sounds like a gun battle to me......with whoever was outside the truck getting run over. If something like this happened at the farm that morning, I can see Michael flying home to grab his family and run. I'm thinking whoever was in the white van might have followed him home and there was more gunfire. Somehow, everyone got away.......but we don't know who was in control at that point. However, as I have said before, the thought of a father taking his family in order to protect them makes more sense to me than a perp taking a whole family. Maybe it was the perp who was taken along for later disposal, rather than the family.

As far as Earnest's involvement, maybe his wife helped patch up some gunshot wounds.......maybe his property was used to dump some evidence.......maybe he was at the farm with Michael that morning and saw or participated in the whole thing. I do find it interesting that Earnest also seemed to "disappear" at the same time the family did......and when he did appear, he was immediately provided the protection of an "undisclosed location."

So yes, I guess I am thinking "one big drug ring" that may involve people we haven't even heard of yet. As far as Jennifer's involvement, I think it would be very minor, if at all. The above scenario (or some variation thereof) would explain why we didn't hear about Michael having been at the farm that morning until 4 days into the investigation......LE would have needed time to process that scene. Oh, and if anything like this did happen, then Bennie probably knows a lot more than we've been told.......and that mildly retarded appearance might just be a front to keep the press away.

So there you have pretty much the entire fruits of my fertile imagination......FWIW


5,006 posted on 02/29/2004 8:50:37 PM PST by freedox
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[Darlin']

Goodnight :)

[El Gran Salseron]

"Dontcha just love an excitng start of the week ? LOL."

LOL

Exciting, yes but I'm afraid that it'll be mixed with sadness, depending upon what charges are filed.

[Letitring]

YES, you do and we expect a full report. :) Lollygag all you need in order to pick up rumors. :)

[Darlin']

FOFLO> I second that.

[Letitring]

I REALLY wish you'd think about bringing that over here. That was some fine speculating and brainstorming. I'd hate to lose that.

[Letitring]

I'm fixin to do that right this minute.

[Letitring]

Here ya go.

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety apparently feels this case will go on for some time, because this was the first of what will become daily briefings at the Yazoo County Courthouse. Investigators say they are accepting any and all leads from the public. If you have any information, call the Yazoo County Sheriff's Department at 662-746-5611 or Crime Stoppers at 355-TIPS.

[BlessedAmerican]

Good grief that is not an image I wanted to go to sleep with....yuk!

[Darlin']

You can call several places.... the Yazoo Co Sheriff's office, the MS State Police..... We can get those numbers for you. I hate to sound so intrusive but do you think you have a tip ?

[dixiechick2000]

Now that I know where to be tomorrow, I think I'll call it a night.

Good night, all.

I just know when I get here, I'll have to catch up on 500 posts.

[Darlin']

Aaaaw, youknowwhatImean.... Dontcnha ?

[Letitring]

Also:

A reward of $100,000 is being offered from information leading to the safe return of the Hargons.

1-800-crime-tv to phone in a tip.

[freedox]

Thank you for the repost, dixiechick.......unless I'm totally off base, of course, in which case I will retract my thanks later......LOL!

[Lucy Lake]

Where do the rendering trucks take dead bodies? Do they take them to a burial place? Are the bodies cremated?

[BlessedAmerican]

Just read your post on the old thread...Bring it over to the new one...Great thoughts...we will see how it plays out and the charges in the morning will be a big clue...

[Darlin']

Nite, dc20000 :)