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PIKE CO., Miss. (WLBT) - The Pike County Sheriff’s Office has arrested three men in an extensive human trafficking investigation.
Deputies did not release details of the arrests, but here’s what we know:
Robert Earl Varnado, 67, of Osyka, was charged with seven counts of sexual battery, deputies say.
Investigators arrested Varnado as the result of a traffic stop in May 2020. During the traffic stop, Varnado, a previously convicted felon, had a firearm. He was indicted on seven counts of sexual battery of a child under 16 years.
Leroy Taylor, 48, of Magnolia, was arrested and charged with sexual battery of a child under 14.
Anson Record Staff
Wadesboro native and Grammy-award winner Richard Lewis Spencer passed away on Sunday, Dec. 27 at the age of 78.
Spencer was recently honored with the “Lifetime Achievement” plaque during the Black Arts Extravaganza event held at South Piedmont Community College.
He began studying classical piano at Beckwith Piano School in Charlotte when he was only 11 and 12 years old. In 1962, Spencer moved to Washington D.C., where he worked with various bands including Leroy Taylor and The 4k’s.
Spencer is most famously known for his band The Winstons and their top-chart hit “Color Him Father.” The Winston’s recording reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart. The song won a Grammy for R&B Song of the Year in 1969.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Micheal Smith (right), head of the Area 3 police, leading a high-level police team on a tour of Effortville in Clarendon last night. Eight persons were shot in the community, five fatally, between Wednesday and Thursday. Other members of the team include Senior Superintendent Glenford Miller, head of the Clarendon Division; Superintendent Christopher Philips; Deputy Superintendent Owen Brown; and DSP Dodd.
WESTERN BUREAU:
Relatives of one of the victims killed in a spate of gun attacks in Effortville, Clarendon, on Wednesday night have since fled the community after reportedly being threatened that their house would be burnt to the ground, even as a curfew has been imposed on the area to restore a sense of calm.