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Victim's mother still has unresolved questions
Henry County investigator Eric Winn (from left); Director of Public Safety Rodney Howell, a former fire marshal; investigator Chris Stovall; and Henry County Sheriff Lane Perry announce Tuesday at the sheriff’s office that Darius Taylor Younger, 21, and Kayla Mae Bowman, 20, were indicted in connection with the deaths of Amanda Massey and Robby Lawrence. (Bulletin photo by Mike Wray)
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
By DEBBIE HALL - Bulletin Staff Writer
The indictments of two people in connection with her daughter’s death 18 months ago have not resolved all of Linda Galloway’s questions about her daughter’s death.
The remains of Amanda Massey, 31, and Robby Lawrence, 33, were found on May 23, 2011, in a burned Daewoo hatchback on Willie Craig Road in Bassett.
Henry County Sheriff Lane Perry announced Tuesday that Darius Taylor Younger, 21, was indicted on three counts of capital murder and other charges in connection with the deaths of Massey, who was Galloway’s daughter, and Lawrence.
Kayla Mae Bowman, 20, is being held with no bond in the Henry County Jail on one count of carjacking and one count of concealing or compounding evidence of a felony in connection with the deaths, Perry said.
Galloway, with evidence of tears rimming her eyes, made a brief appearance at the announcement, but quickly left.
Reached later, she said the indictments “helped some, but not enough. I still want to know why.”
Monday’s indictments of two people in the case represented something of “a relief ... I don’t know” if others were involved in the deaths, Galloway said.
For instance, she said she had never heard Massey mention either Darius Younger or Kayla Bowman.
“And I wonder why Amanda (Massey) was there with these people. I know” that a statement was made at “one time that Robby (Lawrence) got a phone call, and they took off. I’m wondering if the phone call came from” Bowman, Younger or someone else, Galloway said.
Perry said others may be involved. He declined to speculate on additional arrests, but did ask for continued help from residents on the case.
Galloway also asked that “if anybody else has any more information on this, please come forward with it.”
Efforts Tuesday to reach other relatives of Massey, including her father and brother, were unsuccessful.
Larry Lawrence, Robby’s father, also was present at the announcement Tuesday at the sheriff’s office.
He said he is “very satisfied with what the police department has done. We’ve been waiting for a long time” for arrests in the case.
“I do want to thank everybody involved,” Lawrence said. He added the arrests “help some.”
Anita Lester, Robby Lawrence’s mother, said she was “very, very pleased” with the progress and arrests in the case.
Lester said she felt the entire community was willing “to push for a resolution” in the case.
Younger also was indicted on three counts of use of a firearm in the commission of murder, one count of robbery, one count of use of a firearm in the commission of robbery and one count of maliciously shoot into an occupied vehicle, Perry said.
Anyone with information to call the sheriff’s office at 638-8751 or Crime Stoppers at 632-7463.
Rewards of up to $1,000 are available through Crime Stoppers for information related to crimes. The nature of the crime and substance of the information determine the amount of any reward.
