Indianapolis fugitive wanted in three murders arrested here

Published 9:21 pm Thursday, April 5, 2007

A 21-year-old Indianapolis, Ind., man wanted in the Feb. 22 murders of a man and a pregnant woman in that city was apprehended Wednesday night in Athens.

Athens Police Officers Charles Clem and Brandon Turner assisted the U.S. Marshal’s Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force in apprehending Jerone Bussey early Wednesday evening on U.S. 72, just east of Lindsay Lane.

U.S. Marshal Marty Keely in Birmingham said the task force received what he called a “collateral lead” out of Indianapolis that Bussey was in the Athens area, where he possibly has relatives.

According to a Thursday report on the Web site of an Indianapolis TV station, IndyChannel.com., Indianapolis Police investigators said they believe Bussey shot Christina Denny, 24, and Wayne Alvies, 42, at the victims’ home at an apartment complex in Indianapolis on Feb. 22.

Police found the victims shot several times with what investigators believe was an assault-style rifle. Denny was seven months pregnant, and two of her children, ages 4 and 2, were in the apartment when the shooting happened, police said. The unborn baby did not survive,

“The lead indicated that Bussey was in all probability in the Athens area,” Keely said. “Investigators developed additional information and set up surveillance. The suspect was observed leaving an Athens apartment complex. He got into a car, possibly with a woman he was associated with, someone thought to be his girlfriend. The lady is also pregnant. The male was slumped down, but we thought it was him. We stopped them and discovered that it was the wanted person.”

Bussey was booked into Limestone County jail at 7:14 p.m. Wednesday on Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department charges of two counts of murder, one count of feticide and one count of parole violation.

The Marion County, Indiana, Prosecutor’s Office charged Bussey with feticide after ascertaining that the 7-month-old fetus was viable and that the shooter knew the victim was pregnant, according to an IndyChannel.com report.

“It’s definitely a ruthless killing. Someone definitely had a personal vendetta against either one or both of the victims,” Indianapolis Police Lt. Doug Scheffel, told the TV station at the time of the bodies were discovered.