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THE NEWSCASTER
THE NEWSCASTER
PRESORTED
PLEASE
RECYCLE
STANDARD
US Postage
Paid
Deborah Russell - Editor/Publisher
Yankeetown, FL
Wednesday September 19, 2007
Tom Russell - Consulting Editor
A Publication of
Permit No. 4
Mike Moore - Photojournalist
Newscaster Publishing
Sally Price Correspondent
Squawk Box Investigators
Searching
Doug Johnston
Fill-er-up
For Answers
If you are old enough to
remember when gasoline was 25
In Bizarre
cents a gallon, or less, you can
surely remember when a tank of
gas came with an attendant
Murder-
putting the gas in your car,
washing your windshield, and
even checking the air pressure in your tires.
Suicide Case
And, oh yes, if you needed air in a tire they
put it in for you at no charge. Gas stations in
those days were family businesses.
Case drawing national attention
In Inverness during the 1950's we
The Criminal Investigation Division of the
had an AMOCO Station owned and operated
Levy County Sheriff's Office is still piecing
by Wallace Cooper with the help of his wife
together a murder-suicide case that has drawn
Claire, daughter Libby, and sons John Wallace
national attention - even an inquiry from
The spread of limbs of this oak covered 1/2 to 3/4 acre making a park like setting. Winds
and Charles. That station was sandwiched
America's Most Wanted television program.
have taken a toll on many of these old giant oaks this summer in both Inglis and
between the Masonic Building and the old
"A family member had not been contacted
Yankeetown.Photo by Sally Price
Inverness Post Office. If you pulled into that
by Mr. and Mrs. Holter for several days," said
Storm Wreaks Havoc in
station for gas, Mr. Cooper, or one of his chil-
Lt. Evan Sullivan. A well-being check was
dren would pump your gas and give your car
made to the Chiefland resi-
a makeover in a matter of minutes. Mr. Cooper
dence. "A deputy responded
Lake Rousseau Neighborhood
also sold block ice and if asked he would store
shortly after 1:00 p.m., Sep-
a watermelon for good customers in his ice
tember 11, and discovered,
By Newscaster Correspondant Sally Price
house behind the station.
30 years ago, put there by Bud Endicott, the
first, several animals de-
Inverness also had a Pure Oil sta-
Last Thursday afternoon a storm that
gathering of men said. The cable had grown
ceased in the yard, one being
tion just south of the old courthouse. Hugh
dumped more than three inches of rain,
into the tree over the years. Part of the cable
a donkey, the second being a
Stephens operated that business for years and
whipped across Lake Rousseau and across
was still intact.
miniature horse, and three
even though he had suffered a stroke and
John Holter
properties on the north side of the lake at SE
In the 60's this area was called S&S Fish
goats. This investigation re-
had some difficulty walking he pumped gas
115 Ave at Merchant's Landing.
Camp and was owned by Chuck Balik, accord-
vealed, upon making contact
for his customers. His wife, Bea, was at the
Jimmy Hill was sitting at his com-
ing to the men visiting with Hill. Raymond
at the residence, two adults,
station often as was their daughter Lynnette.
puter at the kitchen table, finished up and
Prescott bought it in 1968 to 1970 and changed
deceased, in separate rooms
Inverness also had a Sinclair Station
moved less than 2 feet away to relax in his
the name to Raymond's Landing. Ronnie and
of the residence. They were
just across the courthouse US Highway 41, a
chair. Within minutes one of the limbs of a
Connie Merchant (Ronnie Merchant, Con-
later identified as Laverne
Gulf Oil Station across from Inverness City
large 4 part trunked oak tree which split, came
Continued on page 11- Storm Damage
Holter, 73 years of age, and
Hall and a Standard Oil Station across from
crashing through the roof of his motor home,
John Holter, 82.
Continued on page 3 - Squawk Box
Laverne Holter
barely missing him. Hill said minutes earlier
Sullivan said that autop-
he would have been probably been killed sit-
Adopt A Pet
sies were performed by the medical examiner
ting at the table.
on Sept. 12. The medical examiner concluded
Roger Griffin was visiting and at-
that Laverne Holter had died from a self-in-
see page 2
tempted to move his truck before another sec-
flicted gunshot wound to her head, and John
tion of the tree fell but one of the limbs fell
Holter had died from a single gunshot wound
across it. Jeff Curby, who lived in this neigh-
to the back of his head.
borhood in south Levy County since 1970,
"There were over thirty goats executed in
said he heard the roar like a tornado and saw
two different sheds," said Lt. Sullivan, "And
the storm forming as it came across the lake
six dogs shot and killed in the residence. The
blowing stuff through the air as it came across
Jimmy Hill had just left his computer behind
sheriff's office is ruling this as a murder-sui-
land. The huge tree which had what looked
this chair and sat down when the piece of
cide. At this time, we do not know if she killed
majestic oak crashed through his roof and
like 4 trunks formed into one had 6 strands of
Continued on page 3 - Murder-Suicide
right on his computer.
heavy metal cable wrapped around it about