Three suspects in the murder of Gary Lee Willis were transferred to the Marshall County Jail over the weekend, according to Dekalb County Sheriff Jimmy Harris.
Willis’ body was found December the 17th in a burning vehicle near Geraldine.
Michael Stanley Townsel Jr., Christopher Todd Cagle, and Delia May Downs are currently being held in the jail on charges of kidnapping 1st degree.
All three have drug charges in DeKalb County also.
The investigation into the death of Willis is still on-going and investigators continue to get information and evidence.
The case is being turned over to Marshall County after the investigation revealed facts about the beating, kidnapping, and subsequent murder of Willis.
A Friday morning meeting with all members of the Homicide Task Force was useful in determining the proper venue to charge these suspects.
Marshall County District Attorney Steve Marshal and DeKalb County District Attorney Mike O’Dell are working together on the case.
Additional charges are expected and will be announced by Marshall County District Attorney Steve Marshal and Sheriff Scott Walls.
During this investigation the DeKalb County office executed a drug search warrant and several consent searches.
Arrested during the search warrant were Cagle, Downs, 35-year old Denise Maria McGathey and 34-year old John Henry McGathey, both of Crossville, and 24-year old Jose Perez of Albertville.
Cagle, Downs, and the McGatheys are all charged with Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substance and Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
John McGathey was also charged with resisting arrest.
Perez is charged with Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substance, Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Public Intoxication.
Townsel was arrested on charges of Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substance, Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Consperience to commit a drug crime, and Theft of Property 3rd.
32-year old Randy Lewayne Snow of Boaz was arrested on Failure to Appear for Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substance, and an additional charges of Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substance, Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Promoting Prison Contraband charges.
23-year old Desiree Sheree Cook of Fort Payne was arrested and charged with Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substance and Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
And 35-year old Kevin Euil Goble of Crossville was arrested and charged with Failure to Appear.
Sheriff Harris states “I would like to say how glad I am to bring this case to this point so quickly. We had the suspects in jail within 72 hours of the discovery of Mr. Willis’ body. The response from all the agencies we contacted during this investigation was tremendous. I want to thank Chief Nelson Gregory and Fire Chief Barry Sparks of Geraldine for the good job they did preserving the crime scene and quickly calling for investigators, my staff for the hundreds of hours put into this case, State Fire Marshal Ed Paulk for sending additional deputies to assist the State Fire Marshal Ray Cumby who worked the case from day one. Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin, Cherokee County Sheriff Jeff Shaver, Jackson County Sheriff Chuck Phillips and certainly Marshall County Sheriff Scott Walls for all the work their office did and continue to do in this case. We also had help from Guntersville Police Department, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, the US Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Task Force, and Drug units from all 5 Counties. We received tips from several sources and we continue to develop information. This case is now going to Marshall County prosecutors, we have every confidence in and District Attorney Mike O’Dell and Bob Johnston have worked great with us during this case. We know Marshall County District Attorney Steve Marshal will get justice for the Willis family.”