Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Laurel Pruett's Path to Murder/The Envy Band




The following is an update on Laurel Pruett, accused accomplice in the murder of Amanda Taylor:

It's not surprising that Laurel Ann Stocker didn't have an easy childhood. Her father left the family when she was 18 months old. After announcing he was gay, Stocker never saw Laurel or her younger sister again. Her mother Barbara, bi-polar and left alone with two young daughters, worked as a nurse at the Limestone Correctional Facility until she became disabled. She died three years ago.

At 15, Laurel became pregnant with her first child. Her boyfriend was several years older and heavily into drugs. He disappeared before his son was born, a son that has Asperger's Syndrome and now lives in a foster home in Decatur. Laurel then married Ross Pruett and became a mother again, this time giving birth to a daughter. After the divorce, her mentally challenged daughter went to live with Laurel's ex-father-in-law. Once again Laurel Ann Stocker Pruett was alone.

Laurel's online profiles state that she has some college credit, but don't specify a school. After moving to the Shoals, she worked at a Chevron in Muscle Shoals. She also met Ronald Weems, whom she thought was "Preppy." A week after they met, he surprised her by dying his hair blue. Apparently this didn't bother Laurel who went on to live with Ron and have his daughter. She considered them married, but Ron demanded the relationship be open...at least as far as other women were concerned.

Ron, who had no steady employment, lived with his mother. Friends say he loved his children from his marriage to Brandy Leeth and was eager to have custody of the two when his ex-wife was no longer able to care for them properly. Therein lay a problem for Laurel; DHR refused to grant Ron custody as long as she lived with him.

Laurel, who was heterosexual, devised a plan to announce her "marriage" to a female friend in Sheffield. Now she lived sporadically with Ron, but also with her faux wife and her two children. We can assume it hurt Laurel to see Ron with his girlfriend du jour, especially someone like Ashley Greenhill who had lived even a more troubled life than Laurel.

Now Laurel claims she was not at Ron's house in Muscle Shoals when he murdered Brandy's sister Amanda Taylor. She has confessed to helping Ron cover his tracks in the crime, something a woman with Laurel's mindset wouldn't hesitate to do. We doubt she will be indicted for murder, but she still has several crimes to answer for. She won't have to worry about their young daughter--she's already in foster care.

We don't imagine that's how Laurel saw her future when she first met Ron. Apparently among Laurel's shortcomings in life was the ability to judge character. Now it has cost her everything.



*****


The Envy Band

Looking for a band for all your holiday parties? Look no farther. The Envy Band is composed of:

Mark Anthony Terry - Front Man/Guitar
Jeremy Sparks - Bass
Jeremy Young - Drums

Lee Gilstrap - Piano

Give them a call at 205-412-5814 Cell/253-383-4896 Home



Shoalanda

12 comments:

  1. I hate to post anything not directly relating to the story, but I have to commend you folks running this site. I've visited sporadically for a few months now, but your coverage of this story has actually led to daily reading, Facebook sharing, etc. A horrible story, no doubt, but excellently handled.

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  2. U need to do a story on jon Thomas walls. I know this story is very nessesary but mr walls could be sentenced this week. His crime almost had the same outcome. Otherwise great job and great site.

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  3. We've done a few. Try this:

    http://shoalandaspeaks.blogspot.com/2011/11/bad-boys-wifebeaters-edition.html

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  4. Blog readership comes in one of the ways: good journalism on one hand, sensationalism on the other. Delving into the lives of these people is coming across as judgmental and amateurish.

    This blog appears to cast itself as a source for news, however the content reads more like an editorial. Individual writers can put their own perspective on any topic into a blog. The risk is when that author portrays that content as news. These character portraits, character assassinations, really, are not news, but opinion sprinkled with hearsay and an occasional fact.

    Expressing one's opinion is every Internet user's right, but putting those opinions forth as news is distasteful. Sensationalizing a tragic event for the sake of readership is equally distasteful.

    As a reminder or as a useful nugget of information, the Shoals Insider (an actual source for news that clearly separates news from editorials) has, in the past, been obligated to clarify they have no association with Shoalanda Speaks. (http://shoalsinsider.com/clarification-on-shoalanda-speaks-blog-p1085.htm)

    The writer would be well-advised to consider whether readership from sensationalism is worth the cost of a tarnished reputation. At the very least, articles should indicate whether they are reporting of facts or an editorial. We all have our opinions, but not all recognize poor journalism.

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  5. While we publish notices of events, etc., we have never characterized this blog as anything but editorial in nature. We are first and foremost a political blog--that means we endorse candidates and report on those in elected office and those who work in the public sector.

    Second, we do report on local crime, usually crimes against the weak. Yes, we do it by calling an abusive spade an abusive spade.

    Third, we do, as said above, report on local events in an effort to publicize the Shoals. I think you will find that when the "Shoals Insider" dropped our blog link, the editor dropped that of Matt Osborne also. Mr. Osborne is as liberal as we are conservative. We support his blog as informative, as well as containing editorial content with which we often disagree.

    If you find our editorial stances odd, then you haven't been reading our blog for very long. Everyone who writes here has either a job or a retirement income. None of us does this for the financial gain.

    You also must be new to our blog if you don't know we ask for, even beg for, rebuttals as long as they do not denigrate women, victims, etc., or promote abuse.

    Are we journalists? That depends on one's definition. We will always offer our opinions, and sometimes we will disagree among ourselves. A future blog on the murder of David Andrasik will illustrate that. That makes us no less a team. Please consider going back and reading our early blogs if you have any doubt as to our purpose.

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  6. Before you print facts about someone you should double check to make sure they are true.Most of the things you printed here are wrong.I know they are wrong because Laurel has been a great friend of mine for years.

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  7. If you would care to contact us, we would be happy to correct any mistakes.

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  8. I am curious to know where you are getting your information. It is not an editoral. Editorials are based on facts, not thoughts, and as someone had already said, some of these things were wrong, therefore, not facts

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  9. Does anyone know if this woman worked at that Cheveron across from Waffle House? I saw where it says she worked at Cheveron but I think I remember her from there....I could be wrong though.

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  10. The definition of editorial is: An article in a publication expressing the opinion of its editors or publishers.

    The above article contains both facts and opinions. Laurel's education, "marriage," and employment come directly from her personal sites. Other info comes from sources who are both professional and trustworthy.

    We would be happy for you to write something for us if you wish...

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  11. Thank you for finally getting some of your facts right about laurel. the term "wife" was only a joke, a nickname derived from the amount of love, time and cooperation between her and her best friend. the term juggolett was only used as a joke as well. she liked to shock people. that's way she liked icp. the band is one big joke. Her children are with family not fostercare. she was a wonderful mother who regretted not being as grown up early in life so she could have raised all her children. she has been baptized recently. she would like to apologise to amanda's family but knows they wouldn't care to hear it. Her only flaw is loving, caring and trusting everyone around her deserving or not. she made a very big mistake but she is not evil, only too kind. She made a choice wiles panicked and afraid. she could never bring herself to harm anyone

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  12. I would LOVE to know how you got information about me and the current foster care situation, seeing as I didn't consent to my information being broadcast.

    Yours truly,

    The aspergers child

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