Trey Wooten Came Out Lucky!

 

Blakely Cowart - Innocent Victim

We don't blame the Lauderdale County District Attorney's office for making a deal with Trey Wooten. There was no guarantee that he would be convicted. Also the four years he received is only one short of what he would have served if convicted of Manslaughter. The maximum sentence would have been only five years considering Correctional Incentive Time. 

Wooten still faces charges for an accident with injuries in Jefferson County. We hope that, once he's processed into the state system, he will get the help he needs.

*****

Speaking of CIT, the TimeDaily has been recently referring to some sentences as "Day to Day." We have news - it's not like anyone gets to take a break. We believe the expression the reporter is looking for is "Day for Day."

Guilty, Guilty, Guilty!

Ross (Trey) Wooten Taken into Lauderdale Sheriff's Custody

 

Ross Newton Wooten, aka Trey, was taken into Lauderdale County custody on Friday. According to the little information available from the LCDC, Wooten is being held without bond per Judge Will Powell.

The 35 year-old Shoals native was indicted on two counts of manslaughter over 28 months ago. Wooten was residing in Augusta, Georgia, when he was involved in a Shoal Creek boat crash that killed his girlfriend and her young daughter. Wooten and his son were also injured in the accident.

Some background on the crime: Wooten Indictment

Thanks to the Lauderdale County District Attorney's office for pursuing justice in this case even when it was an unpopular thing to do.

Justice for Blakely Cowart

Most Important Takeaways from the Trey Wooten Indictment

We're going to present the most important takeaway points from the Trey Wooten indictment. If there is one you should remember, this is it:

The indictment issued by the Lauderdale Grand Jury this week concerned only who was at fault in the collision. It did NOT concern the guilt or innocence of the operator of the cabin cruiser who may or may not be guilty of leaving the scene of a boating accident. 

If we've learned one thing writing this blog, it's that many, many people don't read with comprehension and they listen to rumors. Gentle readers, Mark McBryer's time will come next month. This month, the Lauderdale County District Attorney's office concentrated on Trey Wooten, whom investigators deemed responsible for the accident and the resulting deaths of two individuals.



Now, let's look at some other takeaways that many seem to be missing:

1. Wooten was 150% drunk (over .12 BAC). That's a lot of booze, folks.

2. All lights on the cabin cruiser were working; the major rear light on Wooten's vessel wasn't even connected.

3. Sgt. Chad Dyer was the primary Marine Police investigator; his investigation was overseen by Lt. Chad Pate. All evidence given to DA Chris Connolly came from this report. In other words, if anyone was bribed, both officers received hush money for the plan to work.

4. Dyar did not seek to breathalyze the driver of the cabin cruiser, Mark McBryer. (We do find this odd, but it's not our call.) At NO time did McBryer refuse the test.

5. McBryer's party was four family members and one employee/friend for a total of five on the cruiser. Three men and two women made up the number.

6. Dyer states that they were all present when he arrived and that they waited until he did his preliminaries, shipped Wooten off for medical treatment, and stowed away the bodies to await transport. 

7. No one on either vessel was actually outside a craft and in the water at any time. In other words, the crash did not send anyone flying into the lake.

8. GPS on each craft approximated the speed of the vessels. These are very accurate calculations, and found that Wooten was traveling at between 20 and 25 mph, while the cruiser was doing 6 mph. This was at night when visibility was extremely limited.

9. As this blog has published before, Connolly stated that McBryer would not be responsible for leaving the scene of an accident if he felt his vessel was in danger of sinking. His first duty was to his passengers in 60 feet of water.

10. Lauderdale 911 records show calls from McBryer's party coming into dispatch immediately after the crash as the cruiser picked up speed to return to the marina. 


Looking at these facts, it makes the indictment of Wooten a given. It makes a future indictment of McBryer a distinct possibility, but it should be interesting to see what the remainder of the evidence in the case is. Remember, this week's indictment concerned only who caused the crash, not anything that happened subsequently. Let justice prevail for Lauren and Blakely. 

The Two Chads: Dyer & Pate

No One Left Scene of Boating Accident

We would like to make lucidly clear that we do not know the operator of the cabin cruiser involved in the deadly June accident on Lake Wilson. We have no idea who else was on board, so we can't say that we do or don't know any of the passengers or the boat's owner. 

Neither do we know Ross (Trey) Wooten. We are casually acquainted with Mr. John Odem who is Mr. Wooten's attorney, as well as being married to Mr. Wooten's sister. 

In other words, we have no interest in seeing the truth kept hidden in this horrible accident. Just the opposite; we wish for all facts to be perfectly clear.

One statement that we have seen repeatedly is that the cabin cruiser left the scene of the accident. Sgt. Chad Pate of the Alabama Marine Patrol has been quoted as saying the boat did not leave the scene. Why is there confusion?

Yes, the cabin cruiser traveled the short distance to a marina and docked. According to accounts that we have read, the hull of the cruiser took a blow to the bow. In this case, the operator is correct to dock as soon as possible (in a nearby place) to prevent further injury to human life. 

We do NOT know what statement the boat's operator made to the Marine Patrol, but apparently the investigators were satisfied that the boat's pilot did not intentionally leave anyone in the water. 

Just as an aside, if we were on a boat that was taking on water, or was thought to be taking on water, and no one was attempting to make it to shore, we would give new meaning to the term "hissy fit." We suggest everyone read A Night to Remember. 

(Sorry About the Sub-Titles)