Knox County Sheriff - Sheriff J.J. Jones
UPDATE: Violent Sex Offender Arrested
59-year-old Jerry Steven Helton is in custody and will be held in the Knox County Sheriff’s Office Detention Facility on an $8,000 bond.
KCSO Searching for Violent Sex Offender
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office Sex Offender Registry Enforcement Unit is searching for a violent sex offender who has an outstanding warrant for a violation of the sex offender registry.
59-year-old Jerry Steven Heltonwas originally convicted of two counts of engaging in sexual contact by the use of force and aggravated assault with the intent to commit aggravated sexual abuse against a 17-year-old female within the boundaries of the Smoky Mountain National Park.
Helton’s last known address was 2016 Ailor Avenue in Knoxville. He maybe driving a grey Plymouth Voyager van with a Tennessee license plate number of F1743L. Anyone with information regarding Helton is asked to contact KCSO’s Teleserve Unit at (865) 215-2243.
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Horse Farm Owners Arrested for Violating Probation
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| Linda Cowell |
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| Barry Smith |
Two owners of a horse farm in East Knox County are in trouble again, this time for violating their probation. Fifty nine year old Linda Cowell and 58 year old Barry Smith are being held in the Knox County Detention Facility with each under a $2,200 bond. Knox County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control Officers responded to the farm located at 2837 Voltz Lane after the couple was taken into custody. A veterinarian accompanied them and evaluated the horses. Six were removed from the property because of injuries and poor conditions and taken to the U.T. Animal Hospital for treatment.
Smith and Cowell were put on probation earlier this year on animal cruelty charges. In February and March of last year, KCSO Animal Control seized 35 horses from their farm. Smith and Cowell relinquished ownership and Horse Haven took the horses and eventually adopted all of them out. The couple’s farm was also placed under quarantine by the Tennessee Department of Agricultural Division of Regulatory Services because Animal Control found the carcasses of two horses. Two horses had to be transported immediately to U.T. Animal Hospital because of injuries.
In January, 2013, Cowell and Smith pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges and were given probation subject to random checks by Animal Control and to maintain all current horses in good condition.
April 2013 Detective of the Month
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office congratulates April’s Detective of the Month, Officer Amy Dobbs.
A two-year long investigation led by Officer Dobbs culminated in the identification of skeletal remains found on January 12, 1982. To identify the victim, Officer Dobbs had pictures of a facial reconstruction regressed in age by LSU FACES Laboratory and enlisted the help of the Smithsonian’s OUSS/MCI Stable Isotope Mass Spectrometry Laboratory to conduct Stable Isotopes testing. After family recognized the victim from the media’s coverage of her investigation, Officer Dobbs gathered DNA samples from relatives of the victim and the remains were positively identified on April 8th.
Officer Dobbs began volunteering with the KCSO in January 2011 until she was hired in April 2011.
