GUILTY LA - Melinda Denny, 26, St Tammany Parish, 22 Feb 2014 *Arrest*

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T4Tide said:
Oh, no.... So sorry for her family.

We were in NOLA last weekend for a cheer competition, and a monsoon came as we were leaving on Sunday. You couldn't even see Lake Pontchartrain as we crossed the bridge.
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I just heard the news. So sad.

Rest in Peace, Melinda

:rose::rose:
 
Another tragic ending. All these young people being murdered with full lives ahead of them. It is not right.
RIP Melinda.
 
Haven't posted here but been following. My head knew this would be the outcome but my heart held hope...

Fly High Melinda! :rose:
 
Ex was diagnosed as bi-polar, wouldn't take his meds because he said they made him feel weird but yet he would go out and do illegal drugs. He tried to choke me to death in the front yard. I never understood how taking his prescribed meds could make him feel any weirder than illegal drugs did. It finally took me testifying against him and having him put in jail to get him off the streets. He was sentenced to 10 years but only had to pull 10 months in the local jail and went back to NC after his parents pulled some strings.
 
Crap.

I know from FB comments that the family had been told it didn't look good for Melinda but still... four gorgeous kids have lost their mom. RIP Melinda.
 
Wolf Dreamer said:
Out of curiousity, would LE have had Nall drug tested?
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Oh yes indeed, I would definitely think so, especially in light of the suicidal behavior and such. I know someone who was arrested in St Tammany and they were indeed drug tested as part of being booked for their charges. Now of course, it may depend on whatever their charges may be, but especially in light of the suicidal actions and severely erratic behavior involving his paranoid rantings, a drug test should definitely happen.
 
I've been very busy the past couple of days, so if this question has been answered, please excuse me.

Does anyone know why the couple was in that part of St. Tammany Parish?

Do we know where they were going in Texas?

TIA!

ETA: I'm curious because Mobile to Houston is a straight shot on I-10. Even if the destination was north of Houston, i.e., Dallas/FW, I-10 to I-45 is the most common route. So I'm curious why they were north of Lake Pontchartrain and I-10, and possibly travelling I-12.
 
Wolf Dreamer said:
Out of curiousity, would LE have had Nall drug tested?
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Oh, most definitely! They test you coming in, just not going out.

Authorities raid St. Tammany work release facility, 19 sent to jail
February 24, 2014
The state Department of Corrections on Sunday searched Northshore Workforce, LLC, a Covington work release facility, after recent allegations of non-compliance within the facility were raised. After the raid, 19 offenders were taken to Rayburn Correctional Center, Department of Corrections spokeswoman Pam Laborde said.

Of those 19 offenders, 13 failed drug tests, two were found with synthetic marijuana and one had a cell phone, Laborde said. Three others refused to submit a urine sample, or did not submit a sample within a certain time period, she said.
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- It should be noted that Northshore Workforce, LLC is one of the private companies contracted to operate "Sheriff Jack Strain's work release programs".

- Unfortunately, it's become something of a sick joke down here. Google St. Tammany Parish and "squirrel cages" and you'll see what I mean. The word is if you don't consent and take the test, they throw you in the squirrel cage.

Prison experts call St Tammany jail cells inhumane

- The plaintiff in this case took part in a peaceful demonstration protesting the use of the squirrel cages. Even after submitting to a drug screen, he spent time in one of the 3' x 3' cells.

St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office sued by man for alleged police brutality and false arrest for recording peaceful protest
August 7, 2013
The plaintiff alleges that he was detained for two hours inside the courthouse without being informed of the reason for his arrest. Brown claims he consented to a drug test after being told there was a possibility that he would be released sooner if he did one.

While at the jail the plaintiff was later forced into one of the “squirrel cages” that had been the focus of the protest.
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- Findings of a federal investigation, report dated July 2012.

United States' Investigation of the St. Tammanv Parish Jail Pursuant to the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Person Act
St. Tammany fails to provide adequate mental health screenings and assessments, treatment, and medication management for its prisoners with mental illness. Prisoners therefore wait several weeks and sometimes months before they are treated by mental health professionals and the care that they eventually receive falls below constitutional minimal and generally accepted professional standards.

St. Tammany provides grossly inadequate suicide prevention care. Prior to and during our investigation, these practices included placing prisoners with mental illnesses in booking cages (“squirrel cages”). For some time, St. Tammany’s policy clearly established that booking ages were only to be used as a mechanism of last resort, yet we routinely found instances where booking cages were used to house prisoners with suicidal ideation, regardless of other available housing options. Though St. Tammany told us that they abandoned this practice in September 2011, unless and until we are able to verify that the changes described to us are clearly set out in policy and procedure, and these changes in policy and procedures are fully implemented, we remain concerned that this long overdue improvement in the Jail’s treatment of suicidal prisoners will not be realized.
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- There there's this:
Covington woman’s DWI arrest becomes a Facebook sensation
The Advocate
Wednesday, 11 December 2013

“I was freezing; I was scared; I couldn’t walk the line, I was jumpy,” she said. But she adamantly denied that she was impaired. “I have never had a beer on the tip of my tongue, and I have certainly never taken drugs,” she said.

Jenkins, a widow who has been retired for a decade since she and her late husband sold their seafood market in Covington, said she does take prescription medications for high blood pressure, heartburn and other “minor things.” But she spent all of Nov. 30 driving back from Tampa, Fla., with her son and daughter-in-law, she said, and the only drug she took was a couple of Tylenol capsules to help ease arthritis pain.

After she failed the field test, Jenkins was taken to the sheriff’s Covington complex for further evaluation before being taken to jail. At the Covington complex, according to Strain, a deputy trained to recognize people who are under the influence of drugs concluded that Jenkins had taken “central nerve system depressants and narcotic analgesics,” according to the sheriff’s Facebook post. A test sample was obtained from Jenkins “for scientific analysis in a certified lab,” the statement said.

Results from the test won’t be available for a few weeks, a Strain spokesman said.
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- The above article contains excerpts from Strain's Facebook post in defense of the allegations.

Related articles:

http://www.gobogalusa.com/news/article_6a19db94-4637-11e2-806d-0019bb2963f4.html

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2012/07/st_tammany_jail_provides_inade.html
 
According to a cousin's post on social media, Nall had been stranded in New Orleans without money or a ride. He called Melinda on Thursday to come pick him up. The two of them, according to her family, had a recent casual relationship, but were by no means a couple. Melinda drove to pick him up and apparently called her mom, Thursday or Friday, and said that she was on the way back to Mobile. Sometime Friday, Melinda's mom called her daughter's cell phone to try to figure out where she was- it sounds like she was watching Melinda's children. Her mom has said that Nall answered the phone and refused to let her talk to Melinda and that he was wanting to talk to her kids. He hung up from that call and would not answer any further calls from her. Later that night, is when he called his mother, and they had the phone conversation that led her to contact the police- who found them in the Winn Dixie parking lot at approx. 1:30am Saturday morning. Nall later showed up at the gas station around noon Saturday.
So, no, not sure why they were there. I've seen some comments that they were panhandling in the Winn Dixie parking lot for gas money. So, it doesn't seem like the detour was planned...
 
SwampMama said:
Oh yes indeed, I would definitely think so, especially in light of the suicidal behavior and such. I know someone who was arrested in St Tammany and they were indeed drug tested as part of being booked for their charges. Now of course, it may depend on whatever their charges may be, but especially in light of the suicidal actions and severely erratic behavior involving his paranoid rantings, a drug test should definitely happen.
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bessie said:
Oh, most definitely! They test you coming in, just not going out.
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Thanks. Some of Melinda's wider family have suggested JN has used meth, so I wondered if they'd check for that.
 
TxLady2 said:
This is not going to end well.
I wonder if he was trying to facilitate a "suicide by cop" deal.
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Totally a guess. He has a lot of corny "sayings" post on his FB page, that come across as perhaps a needy guy, or someone who wouldn't take a break-up very well. Maybe he was planning on a murder-suicide but couldn't go through with killing himself, maybe the reality of murdering her (if he did) hit him and he was hoping for suicide by cop. The bit about him being very incoherent and blaming govt for his problems, talk about aliens.....he could be faking it in an attempt to plead insanity later.
 
Gert said:
According to a cousin's post on social media, Nall had been stranded in New Orleans without money or a ride. He called Melinda on Thursday to come pick him up. The two of them, according to her family, had a recent casual relationship, but were by no means a couple. Melinda drove to pick him up and apparently called her mom, Thursday or Friday, and said that she was on the way back to Mobile. Sometime Friday, Melinda's mom called her daughter's cell phone to try to figure out where she was- it sounds like she was watching Melinda's children. Her mom has said that Nall answered the phone and refused to let her talk to Melinda and that he was wanting to talk to her kids. He hung up from that call and would not answer any further calls from her. Later that night, is when he called his mother, and they had the phone conversation that led her to contact the police- who found them in the Winn Dixie parking lot at approx. 1:30am Saturday morning. Nall later showed up at the gas station around noon Saturday.
So, no, not sure why they were there. I've seen some comments that they were panhandling in the Winn Dixie parking lot for gas money. So, it doesn't seem like the detour was planned...
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Gert, here's the MSM link that goes with your post.

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2014/02/st_tammany_deputies_find_missi_1.html

Thanks for posting those details. Now if we could just fill in the rest of the blanks. First we heard the couple was traveling from Mobile to Texas. Later it was reported that Nall was in New Orleans first. Melinda drove here to help him out last Thursday because he was stranded with no money and no ride. At some point after she arrived, she called her mom to say they would return to Mobile on Friday. Friday comes, they don't show up. MD's mom calls her cell phone, but Nall answers. He behaves strangely, and won't let the mom speak to MD. Then late Friday night/early Saturday morning, his mom calls the STPSO to check on them. She told LE they they had no money for gas. I don't think she told them when she called that he was having paranoid delusions. LE checks them out, finds his gun, but they say he looks okay and there are no grounds to hold him. MD was alive at the time, and I *guess* she gave no indication that she was afraid, or being held against her will. Finally, about 12 hours later, Nall is involved in the stand off with police, and MD is gone.

1. Where is Melinda's car?

2. What happened to the money she would have used to fuel their cars to return to Mobile?

3. Why did MD's family think he was stranded if his Jeep was operational?

4. Why didn't MD or his mom just wire him some money? It would have been cheaper than buying gas for two cars.

5. If they were short on money, why drive 40 miles north, across the lake?

6. How long had Nall been in the area before MD joined him?

7. Why was he in the area?
 
bessie said:
Oh, most definitely! They test you coming in, just not going out.

Authorities raid St. Tammany work release facility, 19 sent to jail- It should be noted that Northshore Workforce, LLC is one of the private companies contracted to operate "Sheriff Jack Strain's work release programs".

- Unfortunately, it's become something of a sick joke down here. Google St. Tammany Parish and "squirrel cages" and you'll see what I mean. The word is if you don't consent and take the test, they throw you in the squirrel cage.

Prison experts call St Tammany jail cells inhumane

- The plaintiff in this case took part in a peaceful demonstration protesting the use of the squirrel cages. Even after submitting to a drug screen, he spent time in one of the 3' x 3' cells.

St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office sued by man for alleged police brutality and false arrest for recording peaceful protest- Findings of a federal investigation, report dated July 2012.

United States' Investigation of the St. Tammanv Parish Jail Pursuant to the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Person Act - There there's this:
Covington woman’s DWI arrest becomes a Facebook sensation
- The above article contains excerpts from Strain's Facebook post in defense of the allegations.

Related articles:

http://www.gobogalusa.com/news/article_6a19db94-4637-11e2-806d-0019bb2963f4.html

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2012/07/st_tammany_jail_provides_inade.html
Click to expand...

Thanks for all that Bessie. I wanted to touch upon the issues with St. T but was afraid of going off onto a rant.

When it comes to St T, I also have no respect for DA Walter Reed.
Under Reed's prosecution, one guy in St T got sent to jail for 60 years to life for being a 4 time marijauna seller. (no, not bright of the guy, but he was hardly a killer or a violent as far as I know). Ok so there has basically got a LIFE sentence for weed.

Compare that to when Walter Reed's stepson got intoxicated and killed someone. He had a 21 not to mention he was 20 and not even legally allowed to drink). But this killer did not spend one day in prison and instead was ordered to remain in college and to complete 1,440 hours of community service and pay a fine of $1100. Later, the killer whined that the community service was just too hard for him to do and got it reduced to 500 hours. Sickening.

Ok that was totally off topic to Melinda's case. But in the area of Melinda's case I doubt JN will get the proper medical and psychiatric treatment in jail or prison. He obviously needs it. (I am NOT at all saying he is not guilty or does not deserve to be charged and serve time for what he did.)

How horrific that the cops made contact with them a few hours before the stabbing. Did they not notice anything was "off" with JN? Considering that within hours, he stabbed Melinda and was threatening suicide himself, there should have been some signs. Although signs of being "off" would not call for him to be arrested or carted off for a mandatory psych eval. I totally get that.

I understand that as JN and MD were adults, there is only so much that can be done. What a total nightmare for both families. His mom tried to do what she could to ward off the crisis that she could see happening. Now some of her worst fears are realized. But did she tell the cops about his metal state or was it just a welfare check because the couple was out of money and seemingly stranded?
 
Bessie, I got the impression the jeep was Melinda's vehicle. It appears that Johnathan was "stranded" in New Orleans- no vehicle, no ride, no money. I have the same questions as you, as well as: With whom and why did Johnathan make that trip to New Orleans? I'm sure that party could provide some valuable info.

From mutual friends, he was no stranger to a "party" lifestyle and some petty crimes. It seems if recently, Melinda had gotten caught up in some of the same. Her life has changed dramatically within the past year (she divorced from her children's father around that time).

I get the impression no one would have wired JN money. I heard a few stories of the two outside of bars in downtown Mobile, recently, asking for rides and no one- especially those that knew them, felt comfortable helping them out...
 
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