July Press Releases

ON JULY 3, 2008, AROUND 2:00 A.M., 911 RECEIVED A CALL REGARDING A CHILD NOT BREATHING IN THE AREA OF ADLER LANE IN ANDALUSIA. RESCUE WAS DISPATCHED. UPON THEIR ARRIVAL, THEY FOUND A TWO MONTH OLD INFANT BREATHING ON ITS ON. THE CHILD WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AT THE ANDALUSIA REGIONAL HOSPITAL. SHE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY LIFE FLIGHTED TO THE SACRED HEART HOSPITAL IN PENSACOLA, FLORIDA. SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES RESPONDED TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM. BASED ON WITNESS STATEMENTS AND INFORMATION FROM MEDICAL PERSONNEL, DEPUTIES CONSIDERED THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE CHILD'S INJURIES VERY SUSPICIOUS.  

INVESTIGATOR GREG JACKSON WAS THE ON CALL INVESTIGATOR. HE RESPONDED TO THE E.R. AND BEGAN TO GATHER FURTHER INFORMATION. INV JACKSON DETERMINED THIS WAS A CRIMINAL CASE. HE BEGAN INVESTIGATING THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND IDENTIFIED ROBERT ALLEN SEANEY, THE FATHER, AS A PERSON OF INTEREST. INV JACKSON AND PATROL DEPUTIES AS WELL AS ANDALUSIA POLICE OFFICERS ATTEMPTED TO LOCATE SEANEY WHO HAD FLED THE HOSPITAL.

AROUND 9:00 A.M., SEANEY TURNED HIMSELF IN AT THE COVINGTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE. HE HAD A PREEXISTING WARRANT FOR VIOLATION OF PROBATION ON AN UNRELATED CHARGE. INVESTIGATORS WESLEY SNODGRASS AND TED MOTLEY CONDUCTED AN INTERVIEW WITH SEANEY. SEANEY ADMITTED THAT HE CHOKED HIS DAUGHTER UNTIL SHE STOPPED BREATHING. HE ALSO ADMITTED THAT HE VIOLENTLY SHOOK HER TO "STOP HER CRYING." SEANEY WAS ARRESTED ON THE VIOLATION OF PROBATION WARRANT WHICH HAD NO BOND. INVESTIGATORS WORKED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND ALABAMA SOCIAL WORKERS THROUGHOUT THIS INVESTIGATION. INVESTIGATORS WAITED TO CHARGE SEANEY UNTIL THEY COULD FIND OUT FURTHER INFORMATION FROM SACRED HEART HOSPITAL AS TO THE EXTENT OF THE INFANTS INJURIES. THE HOSPITAL STAFF HAS CONFIRMED SHE HAS SUFFERED SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURIES. SOME OF THE INJURIES MAY BE LASTING, IT IS UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

ON JULY 7, 2008, ROBERT ALLEN SEANEY, 20, OF ANDALUSIA, ALABAMA WAS CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FIRST DEGREE. HE HAS A BOND OF $500,000.00 FOR THE ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGE AND A BOND OF $100,000.00 FOR THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FIRST DEGREE CHARGE. SEANEY IS STILL BEING HELD WITHOUT BOND ON THE VIOLATION OF PROBATION WARRANT.

SHERIFF MEEKS SAID, "ANY CASE INVOLVING A CHILD CAN BE DIFFICULT FOR ALL PARTIES INVOLVED. I HAVE MONITORED THIS CASE FROM THE TIME THE FIRST INVESTIGATOR WAS ON SCENE. ONCE AGAIN, WE TAKE CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN AS OUR FIRST PRIORITY. WE WILL CONTINUE TO AGGRESSIVELY PURSUE AND PROSECUTE TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, EACH AND EVERY PERSON WHOM WE CAN PROVE HAS INTENTIONALLY HARMED OUR CHILDREN. OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE FOR A SPEEDY RECOVERY FOR THE BABY."

                                                   ROBERT ALLEN SEANEY

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ON JULY 8TH, 2008, REGINA GAIL PHILLIPS WAS ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH ARSON IN THE SECOND DEGREE. ON MAY 18, 2008, 911 RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE WING COMMUNITY IN THE AREA OF ALABAMA HWY 137 JUST NORTH OF THE FLORIDA LINE. A DEPUTY RESPONDED AND THE WING VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED. THE STRUCTURES, UTILITY SHEDS, WERE A TOTAL LOSS. INVESTIGATOR MOTLEY RESPONDED TO THE SCENE AND BASED UPON HIS INITIAL INVESTIGATION, HE CONTACTED THE ALABAMA FIRE MARSHALL'S OFFICE. PHILLIPS WAS IDENTIFIED AS A SUSPECT AND WAS LATER LOCATED AND QUESTIONED IN THE INCIDENT. STATE FIRE MARSHALL JEFF LOWERY AND INVESTIGATOR MOTLEY WORKED THIS CASE TOGETHER AND CONFERRED WITH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. ON MAY 19, 2008, INV MOTLEY ARRESTED PHILLIPS FOR THEFT OF PROPERTY FIRST DEGREE AND CRIMINAL MISCHIEF FIRST DEGREE WHICH RESULTED AS A PART OF THIS INVESTIGATION. PHILLIPS HAD A TOTAL BOND OF $30,000.00 ON THOSE TWO CHARGES. FIRE MARSHALL JEFF LOWERY OBTAINED THE WARRANT FOR THE ARSON PORTION OF THIS INVESTIGATION AND THE COVINGTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE SERVED THAT WARRANT. PHILLIPS HAD A BOND OF $20,000.00 ON THAT CHARGE. PHILLIPS IS FACING TWO CLASS B FELONIES AND A CLASS C FELONY AND IS CURRENTLY OUT ON BOND.

                                                         REGINA GAIL PHILLIPS

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ON JULY 16, 2008, INVESTIGATORS WITH THE COVINGTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE TOOK JAMES WAYNE HENLEY, JR, 40, OF MONTGOMERY, PREVIOUSLY OF OPP, AL INTO CUSTODY. HENLEY WAS CONVICTED OF RAPE IN THE SECOND DEGREE HERE IN COVINGTON COUNTY IN. HENLEY FAILED TO MAINTAIN HIS COMMUNITY NOTIFICATION ACT REQUIREMENTS AS A CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER AND WAS ARRESTED AND CONVICTED FOR VIOLATING THE ALABAMA COMMUNITY NOTIFICATION ACT. HENLEY WAS RECENTLY RELEASED FROM AN ALABAMA PRISON AND REGISTERED IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY. UPON INVESTIGATION, INVESTIGATORS FOUND THAT HENLEY HAD STAYED AT A HOME IN OPP, AL WITHOUT REGISTERING WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE OR THE CITY OF OPP. JAMES WAYNE HENLEY, JR HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH FELONY FAILURE TO REGISTER AS A SEX OFFENDER. HE IS CURRENTLY IN THE COVINGTON COUNTY JAIL UNDER $10,000.00 BOND.

                                                JAMES WAYNE HENLEY, JR