Stolen Car Crushed for $199.20

By Debbie Gregory
A couple was arrested in Red Boiling Springs recently for their involvement in a stolen car, that was crushed at Likens Salvage Yard on Bradley Hollow Road. They also face drug charges.

According to RBS Police Chief Kevin Woodard, on November 11, the police department received a report that a vehicle had been stolen from 206 Landy Lane, in Red Boiling Springs. “The vehicle belonged to Tabitha Swaffer who was arrested on November 8 by the Macon County Sheriffs Office and Marshals,” said Chief Woodard. “She was the one who gave a ride to jail escapee Matt White, to Bowling Green, Kentucky, in the 2004 Monte Carlo that was reported stolen.”
It seems that Tabitha was staying at the 206 Landy Lane residence of John Conyer and Kemmerly Frasier at the time she was arrested, and her mother went to get her car on November 11, and it was gone.

“Assistant Chief Justin Adams took the initial report on the stolen vehicle,” said Chief Woodard, “and he spoke to John Conyer who stated that they had gone to eat and when they returned around 2:00 that afternoon the car was gone.”

The couple’s story was that they thought somebody had come and picked it up for Tabitha and they didn’t think anything about it.

“On November 14, I was at the jail and I ask Tabitha for more information about her car,” noted the Chief. “While I was there, me and several officers were discussing where the car could be, and Detective Donnie Crawford and I decided to check Likens Salvage on Bradley Hollow Road. I went in and spoke to Ronnie and told him I was looking for a silver 2004 Monte Carlo Super Sport. He said he had it, and that it was up in the hollow, but it had already been crushed. Once we got to the car, it was crushed beyond recognition, but I found the scratches on the back and front bumpers that Tabitha had described to me and I was able to find the VIN plate which confirmed it was her car.”

“I got the receipt of the person who sold the car for scrap, and I found out he was in jail too,” explained Chief Woodard. “After talking to this guy, I found out that he was at the 206 Landy Lane residence after Tabitha had been arrested, and the couple told this guy that the car belonged to an old roommate who had left it there, and if he would take the car and scrap it, they would split the money. The guy agreed and it was scraped for $199.20.”

John Conyer had a violation of probation warrant, and Chief Woodard, MCSO Detectives Donnie Crawford and Shane Gregory, Sgt. Kevin Templeton and Probation Officer David Hightower went to 206 Landy Lane to pick up Mr. Conyer and conduct a probation search.

While speaking with Ms. Frasier about Mr. Conyer, she stated that he was at work and wasn’t at home. “Detective Gregory saw John peek out one of the windows, and I told Kemmerly that we knew he was in there,” said Woodard. “We made entry into the house and found Mr. Conyer hiding in a back bedroom closet.”

Chief Woodard says that in the same closet Mr. Conyer was hiding, was a bag of white crystal like substance in a clear plastic baggie, with a big chunk in it, that was believed to be meth, along with $601 in cash. And laying on a bed in the residence was a sawed off shotgun that that had the serial numbers ground off. Also during the search they found a 22 pistol. “There were four children in this home,” said the Chief.

Chief Woodard arrested John Conyer and charged him with violation of probation, possession of Schedule II for resale, possession of Schedule II within 1,000 feet of a school, unlawful possession of a weapon (felon), possession of a firearm while committing a felony.

“Because of the kids I left Kemmerly home that day,” said the Chief, “but the next day, November 15, I went back and arrested her for theft over $1,000, possession of Schedule II drugs, and possession of Schedule II drugs within 1,000 feet of a school.