STANFORD — Four deaf women will be arraigned next week in Lincoln Circuit Court after being indicted on attempted murder charges.
Jessica N. Callahan, 27, of Danville and Autumn Drass, 23, Taquisa Horton, 27 and Kerry L. Zamara, 23, all of Columbus, Ohio, were each charged by a Lincoln County grand jury with criminal attempt to murder in an alleged plot to stab Minnie L. Goode of Hustonville to death on July 3.
Drass and Horton also were indicted on a count of first-degree burglary for allegedly being armed with knives when they entered Goode’s home, and third-degree assault for allegedly attempting to injure Hustonville Police Chief Fred McCoy when he responded to the burglary call.
Callahan and Zamara also were indicted for complicity in the burglary for allegedly being involved in planning the break-in.
All four women are scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 14. Bonds for each were set at $100,000.
Sheriff Curt Folger said last month that Horton and Drass smashed windows to gain entry to Goode’s home and then lay in wait for her return, when they planned to stab her to death. The plan went awry, however, after a neighbor noticed suspicious activity at the house and called police before Goode, 82, returned home, Folger said.
The sheriff contends the murder plot was created by Callahan to settle a score in a lesbian lovers’ quarrel. Callahan used to be involved with Goode’s daughter, but the daughter was working with Callahan’s current girlfriend to help her get out an abusive relationship with Callahan. The sheriff said Callahan wanted to seek retaliation by killing Goode.
When McCoy arrived on the scene and found Horton and Drass armed with butcher knives, he called for backup. Folger and two deputies responded. Callahan and Zamara had dropped off the women at the house and left in a vehicle.
During the investigation, Folger obtained a search warrant for Drass’s cell phone, which was recovered at the scene. The phone contained texts and photos sent between Drass and Callahan that implicate the women in the plot to kill Goode. One of the messages, sent after Drass was in custody, was a desperate plea to delete the previous incriminating phone activity, he said.
