Melodie Phelps, News Editor
Wayne County Outlook
Monticello
June 24, 2008 02:36 pm
—
Itıs still hard for Jimmy Bellıs family to understand what happened in
August 2006. Thatıs when the Wayne County man, who was known as kind and
hard-working, was murdered in Flagler County, Florida. Two transients beat
and killed Bell, then buried his body near railroad tracks.
Now, almost two years later, Bell has made it to his final resting
place. Family members held a service on Friday, June 13 at Sandusky Chapel
Cemetery. Bell was laid to rest next to his mother, Clova Young Bell, ending
months of waiting for the family.
³It was terrible for the whole family,² said Linda Roberts, who is
Bellıs aunt. ³I thought about this every day.²
She will tell you that it has been a long journey, since Flagler County
police contacted her in November 2006, when they found the remains of a man
that they believed was her nephew. Bell was tentatively identified by his
Kentucky driverıs license, which was found in his wallet.
Roberts said the family knew Bell was in Florida. He had been living in
St. Augustine. She said he liked to travel around and he never had a problem
finding work.
³He could do just about anything,² she said.
Bell usually contacted family members every couple of months, so they
were not alarmed about his lack of communication from August 2006 until
November 2006. In fact, Roberts said he had been home during the summer of
2006 and had stayed a while to visit.
Roberts received the call from Flagler County detectives shortly after
they discovered Bellıs body, wrapped in a blanket and buried near the
railroad tracks. They wanted her to send photos of Bell, which she did.
Arrested in the case were Shane Linkous, 23, and Michael Blair, 43, who
are described by Florida officials as two homeless men. Roberts said police
have told her that Bell had gone into a store on August 15, 2006 and
purchased a gallon of water. When he came out of the store, she said police
have told her that he was attacked by Linkous and Blair. She was told that
Bellıs arm was broken during the fight and he turned to walk away when he
was struck from behind with a flashlight. It was a blow that proved to be
fatal.
Blair and Linkous, both charged with second degree murder, gave
conflicting stories of what happened, each blaming the other for the manıs
death. Roberts said that the attorney who prosecuted the case in Florida
indicated that Blair was the one who struck Bell.
Detectives said Linkous showed an acquaintance where the body was in
November, and that person went to police with the information that led to
the discovery of the remains.
³I donıt know who that person was, but we sure do thank him for going to
the police...We would have never known what happened to Jimmy, if he hadnıt
done that,² said Roberts.
According to newspaper reports regarding the case, Blair was released
from jail in January of this year because he was dying of cancer. Linkous
was sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years probation, after pleading
no contest to being a principal to manslaughter in the case.
Throughout the court proceedings, officials in Florida kept Bellıs
remains. Roberts said she called often to check and see when the family
could bring Bell home.
After Linkous was sentenced, Bellıs remains were released to a Florida
mortuary. Roberts said he was cremated and she picked up his ashes on
Wednesday, June 11.
Many family members were able to attend the ceremony at Sandusky Chapel
Cemetery, where Bell was a member of the church. He was the son of the late
Odel and Clova Bell and he had a brother, Billy Kay Bell, who preceded him
in death. He is survived by three brothers, Harold Ray Bell, Tommy Bell, and
Wayne Bell.
³He was a good man. He was always a good person. He would do anything to
help you,² said Roberts.
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