A doctor’s visit Wednesday for a Greenwood man facing murder and conspiracy charges related to the Abraham law office shootout turned into a trip to jail after his electronic ankle monitor alerted police.
Police Chief Henry Purnell said the officer in charge of house arrest for Derrick Lacy, 25, 404 W. Church St., didn’t notify the alarm company about the medical appointment.
So when Lacy got out of his allowed zone, the ankle monitor signaled the alarm company, which called police and told them where Lacy was, according to Purnell.
The company later called back with a second location. Officers stopped the car in which Lacy was a passenger at McGehee and Main streets at about noon Wednesday, the chief said. There aren’t any doctor’s offices in that area, but Purnell said someone was driving Lacy to the doctor.
Lacy was initially charged with violating terms of his house arrest, according to the police docket, and taken to the Leflore County Jail. But Purnell said he’s back on house arrest now due to the mistake.
Lacy’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, the chief said. Bond will be determined then.
Purnell said a grand jury meets next month.
Lacy suffered serious injuries in the April 28 gunfight at attorney Lee Abraham’s Market Street office. A helicopter flew him to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson that night, and he remained hospitalized until Greenwood police picked him up May 8. Lacy was confined to a wheelchair when he was released on house arrest with the electronic ankle monitor on May 9.
Lacy’s wounds have mostly healed, and he’s getting around on his own now, Purnell said.
Lacy is the second of the four people accused in the case to be arrested while out pending a grand jury’s action.
Cordarious Robinson, 22, 505 Kinney St., was arrested Friday and charged with domestic violence - simple assault. Robinson’s fiancee signed charges against him claiming Robinson assaulted her, Purnell said. Robinson was released on bond Saturday.
Purnell said he tried to get Robinson’s $120,000 bond on charges of conspiracy to commit murder and felon in possession of a firearm revoked because of the second arrest. The chief said he talked with the prosecutor and judge about it but said the bond probably won’t be revoked because the domestic violence charge is only a misdemeanor.
When asked if he thinks Robinson is a danger to the community, Purnell said, “Right now, in my opinion, yes.”
Dr. Arnold Smith allegedly hired Robinson months before the shooting to recruit hit men to take out Abraham.
Smith’s lawyers have objected to the fact that Lacy and Robinson — both felons — were granted release despite their criminal backgrounds, while Smith, a well-known physician with no felony record, has been denied bond.The doctor has filed a petition with the Mississippi Supreme Court asking for bail. A decision is pending.
Sensational allegations of a doctor plotting to kill a lawyer have attracted widespread attention in Greenwood and elsewhere.
Investigators have said Smith hired Keaira Byrd and Lacy to kill Abraham, against whom Smith has long harbored ill feelings and accused of holding strong economic and political power.
Byrd had been Smith’s primary contact, and Lacy has claimed Byrd forced him to come along to Abraham’s office on the night of April 28.
The previous day, Byrd had arranged to meet Abraham to sell him evidence against Smith. But Byrd’s appearance when he arrived — he was wearing a ski mask and carrying an assault rifle — indicated his real intent was to kill the attorney, authorities have said. Lacy was unarmed, and nothing covered his face.
Bullets flew between Byrd and agents from the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office — whose presence Abraham had requested from Attorney General Jim Hood for the exchange.
Byrd died, and Lacy was wounded. A bullet grazed one of the three agents; Abraham wasn’t injured.
Lacy is charged with capital murder for Byrd’s death and conspiracy to commit murder for the plot to kill Abraham. Lacy can be charged with Byrd’s death under state law because he was allegedly committing a felony at the time of the death.
Smith, a 70-year-old Greenwood oncologist, is being held without bond at the Leflore County Jail on the same charges as Lacy — one count of capital murder and two counts of conspiracy to commit murder.
Paul Muller, a 54-year-old Morgan City brick mason, is charged with conspiracy to commit murder and out on bond. Authorities haven’t said what his alleged role was, and Muller has asserted his innocence.
• Contact Charlie Smith at 581-7235 or csmith@gwcommonwealth.com.
