Two arrests in Stover case

Investigators: Plots converged in ex-con theatre director's death

Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the death of controversial theatre director Andrea Stover, who investigators say was the victim of separate murder plots in the hours before her death on January 2nd.

Romantic jealousy

Detectives arrested Ursula Raines, a physical therapist, earlier today on murder charges. She is currently being held at the Yoknapatawpha County Detention Center.

Raines, 31, allegedly argued with Stover at Oxford Centre on N. Lamar Blvd. shortly after midnight on January 2nd, according to Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department Public Information Officer Elizabeth Jones. Investigators believe that confrontation led to Stover’s fatal plunge from a skywalk in the office complex’s atrium.

Jones would not comment on Raines’ possible motive, but sources familiar with the investigation claim Raines resented Stover’s close friendship with Gretchen Doyle, Raines’ partner. Doyle could not be reached for comment.

Professional jealousy

Yesterday, investigators arrested Dale King on attempted murder charges. He was released this morning after posting bail of $15,000 and is scheduled to be arraigned February 7th.

King is assistant director of Oxtales Theatre, where Stover was the director, and reportedly was unhappy about being ousted from his position as leader of the theatre troupe by Stover’s return.

An employee of the Garden Center, King is charged with using home-grown rhubarb to poison a dessert he served to Stover at an Oxtales rehearsal the evening of January 1.

Although rhubarb leaves are toxic when ingested, King likely had not used enough rhubarb to cause Stover's death, said Jones.

Not guilty pleas expected

King did not respond to requests for comment, but his attorney, Rex Mickles, said his client will fight the charges.

"The DA is going way too far," said Mickles, himself a former assistant district attorney. "Dale was nowhere near the crime scene, and what he did wouldn't have resulted in anything more than a bellyache."

Pam Sutler, president of the Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights Action Committee of Mississippi, said the group will fund Raines' defense, claiming Raines is the victim of discrimination and has been wrongly accused.

"Ursula Raines' only crime was being in the wrong place at the wrong time," Sutler said.

Activist group denies responsibility

Stover, 29, first made headlines in February 2015, when she was arrested for disseminating sexually oriented material to minors after parents objected to their teens’ involvement as stage crew volunteers for a sexually explicit Oxtales production. Stover was convicted in May 2015 and served an 18-month sentence at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Pearl, MS.

Since Stover's release in December, Concerned Oxford Parents (COP), a community watchdog group that works to protect local children and monitors local sex offense cases, has been distributing flyers about Stover to neighbors and local parents.

Despite the publicity, COP president Ben Morgan said the organization is blameless in Stover's death.
"We did what we had to do to keep our community safe," Morgan said. "We never promote violence, but do promote citizens' awareness."

While she refused to comment directly about the COP organization, Jones confirmed that investigators are not searching for additional suspects in the case.

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Controversial artist found dead in office complex

Foul play suspected in ex-con's death

Andrea Stover, whose 2015 theatre production "Snopes" resulted in a prison term on sex crime charges, was found dead this morning in an atrium at Oxford Centre on North Lamar.

Initial indications suggest Stover fell 25 feet from the skywalk connecting the buildings of the office complex, according to Yoknapatawpha Sheriff's Department Public Information Officer Elizabeth Jones.

Sheriff's deputies arrived on the scene shortly before 8:30 a.m. in response to a 911 call from an office worker who discovered the body on the way into work.

Jones said the death is being investigated but declined to disclose any details about the circumstances surrounding Stover's death, citing the ongoing investigation.

Jones would not say whether Stover's death is thought to be an accident, a homicide or a suicide. However, a source close to the investigation told Crime Beat that detectives do believe foul play was involved.

Victim courted controversy

Stover, a Taylor performance artist, was released on December 5, 2016, after completing an 18-month sentence at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Pearl, MS.

She was convicted in June 2015 of disseminating sexually oriented material to minors after parents of three teenagers who volunteered as stage technicians for "Snopes" saw a video of the production and filed charges.

The production was one of several controversial works masterminded by Stover, who colleagues say tackled difficult issues through her choice of sexually explicit works.

"It wasn't about the controversy," said Dale King, assistant director of the Oxtales Theatre. "Andrea was taking on huge issues — rape, interracial romance in the Jim Crow era, gay rights, sexual taboos. Sometimes they aren't pretty to look at, but she brought them out into the light."

King, who served as acting director during Stover's prison term, said she was working on a new piece when she died. The group has put production on hold temporarily, he added.

"It's a huge blow to us and to the artistic community as a whole," King said.

But Stover's critics say her productions were the sign of a deranged mind at work.

Critics voiced strong opposition

"Anyone who would expose teenagers to sex acts like she did was clearly a dangerous psychotic," said Ben Morgan, president of Concerned Oxford Parents (COP), a community watchdog group that works to protect local children and monitors local sex offense cases.

COP, which was headed in 2015 by current Oxford Mayor Claire Windham, advocated the maximum sentence of a 3-year prison term and $15,000 fine for Stover. Since her release, COP has been distributing flyers about Stover to neighbors and local parents in what Morgan describes as an effort to keep the community safe.

"People need to know when sex offenders move into their hometown," said Morgan. "The information is public. We just help get the word out."

Morgan denied that his group's work might have incited someone to an act of vigilante justice against Stover.

"We don't advocate violence," he said. "We do advocate putting pressure on local authorities to protect our citizens. To my mind, we had the right to let her know she wasn't wanted here."

Stover is survived by her parents, Abbeville residents Jerry and Irene Stover. They declined to speak about their daughter's death. Funeral services will be held in private, with a memorial service planned for later this month.

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Stover drew praise, ire for explicit works

Performance artist and Oxtales Theatre director Andrea Stover, who was found dead this morning at Oxford Centre, was no stranger to controversy — even before a 2015 production landed her in prison on sex crime charges.

Stover first made headlines in 2007, when her play "Sade and the Serpent" offended some audience members because of its explicit language. Local church groups picketed the show's two-week run at the Oxford Community Center, and 400 residents signed a petition protesting the performance being held on city property, but the Oxford City Council refused to shut it down.

In 2009, Stover created another controversy when she was invited to stage Shakespeare's "Hamlet" at the University of Mississippi. The production included full frontal nudity and simulated non-consensual sex between the title character and Queen Gertrude, his mother.

Academicians questioned Stover's interpretation of the text, while residents again protested the use of public funds for controversial works.

"What we've seen that's upsetting is the government sponsoring her lewd productions," said former Oxford resident Patricia Doyle, who headed several picketing campaigns against Stover. "It's like the Playboy magazine getting a grant. It's just not right."

Doyle — whose group, Mothers for Decency in Art, disbanded in 2011 when Doyle moved to Texas — also organized picket and boycotting campaigns for Stover's 2010 play "Boot Slaves" at the Stone Center, which was partially funded by a grant from the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, and for Oxtales Theatre's interpretation of "The Story of O," which received a Mississippi Arts Commission grant.

Public enemy? Maybe. Critical darling? Definitely.

But while Stover attracted local censure, she also garnered praise from theatre critics.

"Her productions were well-executed. They asked a lot of questions without sacrificing plot or character," said New Orleans Times-Picayune theatre writer Leonard Chabeaux, who began reviewing Stover's work in 2012. "She was a maverick along the lines of Annie Sprinkle."

With her growing notoriety — and commercial success — Stover took bigger risks, such as the 2011 performance piece "leather $ale," an explicit verse recitative accompanied by a slide show of male prostitutes.

But Stover's most controversial piece was the 2015 "Snopes," which depicted an imagined love affair between William Faulkner and the daughter of his African-American nanny, Callie Barr, and included partial nudity as well as simulated heterosexual and homosexual sex.

The production also led to Stover's conviction and imprisonment after parents of three teenagers who volunteered as stage technicians for "Snopes" saw a video of the production and filed sex-crime charges.

According to Oxtales Theatre assistant director Dale King, the production Stover was working on when she died would have been at least as controversial as her previous works.

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Key witness in the Flores trial talks about his testimony

Fontaine murder trial: Jury Deliberations Day 3

Will Sands

It's Friday afternoon and bartender Will Sands is getting ready for a big football weekend at The Roadhouse. Most current and former Oxford residents know Will from the times they've stopped in for a drink or a meal or both.

He's the guy behind the bar with the quick service, a welcoming smile, and a willing ear, whether you want to pour out your troubles, analyze the latest Ole Miss injuries, or just share that great joke you heard today.

The Roadhouse is always busy and Will is used to coping with chaos, but this month, he's also been caught up in a different kind of chaos over at the Yoknapatawpha County Courthouse.

As usual, Will's first thought is how to make the experience a little easier on everyone else.

Will never expected to be a witness in a murder trial, but that's where he found himself last week when prosecutor Calvin Dollarhide called him to the stand in the Benito Flores trial.

Twenty-one months ago, it was just another Saturday night at The Roadhouse. Customers filled every table and barstool, and Will was behind the bar. But it turned out that one of those customers that night was Benito Flores, who's now on trial for murdering Philip Fontaine.

Will has a bartender's gift for remembering faces, and he was able to give detectives enough information about a man he saw that night who looked like he'd been in a fight that the investigators were able to identify that man as Benito Flores.

Now, almost two years later, Will was at a different kind of bar, testifying as a prosecution witness in the Flores trial.

Crime Beat got a chance to talk to Will about his role in the case over a burger and a beer at The Roadhouse.

Crime Beat: So, Will, what can you tell me about Benito Flores?

Will Sands: Now, Kemper, you don't want to talk about that. It's almost the weekend. Why don't you take the rest of the day off? Can I get you another beer?

CB: No, thanks. Come on, Will. Did you know Benito Flores before all this happened?

WS: Well, now, I wouldn't say I knew him, but I'd seen him around.

CB: I was in court for your testimony, and it sounded like Benito had been causing problems for The Roadhouse for a while.

WS: That's all old news. We don't have trouble like that around here anymore.

CB: So drug dealers aren't hanging out in the parking lot anymore?

WS: That's right. You saw it when you came in. Did you see any of those characters out there?

CB: No.

WS: No, you didn't. The sheriff's department did a real good job taking care of that. Real good.

CB: Did they get it cleaned up around the same time as they needed you to be a witness in the Flores trial?

WS: Now, Kemper, don't go creating trouble where there isn't any. They did their job, same as I'm doing mine and you're doing yours.

CB: If you say so. So how did you end up telling the detectives about Benito being here the night Philip Fontaine was killed?

WS: They asked me to come in and talk to them. I just answered their questions.

CB: What made them want to talk to you?

WS: I don't know.

CB: You didn't ask?

WS: I just answered their questions like the good citizen I am.

CB: As a good citizen, when did you first suspect that Benito Flores killed Philip Fontaine?

WS: I'm just the bartender, Kemper. It's not my job to decide who's guilty and who isn't.

CB: So you think he didn't do it?

WS: Old Will is just here to make sure everybody has a good time, not to judge people.

CB: You know that the Flores defense has accused Grant Fontaine of killing his father?

WS: Yeah, I read about that on your site.

CB: Thanks. Do you think Grant could have done it?

WS: I don't know. All I know is Grant wasn't here that night.

CB: Benito Flores says he was.

WS: I heard that.

CB: So Flores lied?

WS: You know, I think what I heard Benito said was that he saw Grant in the parking lot, not inside.

CB: So Grant could've been in the parking lot that night?

WS: I never saw him out there, but we were real busy that night.

CB: Before all this happened, you had a pretty close relationship with the Fontaine family, didn't you?

WS: I only saw them when they came in The Roadhouse, but they were good customers, good tippers.

CB: You knew them a little better than that, right?

WS: No better than any other regular. The Fontaines and I don't exactly run in the same circles, you know.

CB: So do you think Grant killed his father?

WS: I don't know who did it.

CB: Come on, Will. You know everything that goes on in this town. You've got to have some idea who killed Philip Fontaine.

WS: You know, if we keep talking, your burger's going to get cold, so I'm going to leave you to it. I need to go check on those folks at the end of the bar. Thanks for coming in, Kemper. Always great to see you.

The third day of deliberations ended without a verdict. The jury will resume deliberations Thursday morning.

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Bruno Coleman speaks out about his late rival and family

Fontaine murder trial: Jury Deliberations Day 3

Bruno Coleman

Last week, when the defense in the Benito Flores trial accused Grant Fontaine of killing his father, many Oxford citizens had a strong reaction. Some felt Grant Fontaine should have been a suspect all along, given his history of animosity with his father and his well-known drug use.

But others thought the defense was preying on a troubled young man in a cynical attempt to exonerate the man some consider unredeemable, Benito Flores.

Surprisingly, the latter group included Philip Fontaine's longtime rival Bruno Coleman. Even thought Fontaine and Coleman had been fierce competitors for decades, Coleman has weighed in on the side of the Fontaine family ever since the murder.

Shortly after Philip Fontaine was found murdered, Coleman offered a substantial reward for the arrest of the culprit.

Crime Beat: Mr. Coleman, you've piqued the curiosity of a lot of people in Oxford since Philip Fontaine's murder. The two of you were adversaries for as long as most people can remember, but you've been very vocal in your support for his family. I think what we all want to know is why?

Bruno Coleman: Losing a family member, even a difficult one, so suddenly and so brutally is hard for anyone. I'm fortunate to be in a position to help Grant and Ashley, and I've only done what anyone would do.

CB: Not everyone would offer a $10,000 reward to help solve the murder of someone they'd hated for years.

BC: That's not about Philip. That's about helping his family find some peace.

CB: You can understand that people are curious about why you've gone out of your way to help the family of a man you hated.

BC: Grant and Ashley had to put up with Philip for years, which is enough to get anyone's sympathy. Don't kid yourself. Philip Fontaine was a ruthless, vindictive son of a bitch. Like I said, this isn't about him. I reached out to his family to help them, not him.

CB: Last week, you were one of the first people to come to Grant's defense after Benito Flores accused him of killing his father.

CB: How do you explain your strong reaction to the defense's allegations?

BC: For them to try to blame Grant is just unconscionable. Grant has faced a lot of challenges in his young life, and after a lot of hard work, he's finally overcome them. He's a good man, who would never kill anyone. This dirty trick that Flores' defense is trying to pull is exactly the kind of thing Philip would've done to get himself out of trouble. That right there should prove to you they're lying.

CB: It sounds like your opinion of Philip Fontaine hasn't improved any since his death.

BC: Why would it? He was a selfish bastard. Nothing about that has changed. But no matter what kind of person he was, Flores had no right to kill him.

CB: You're convinced that Benito Flores is the one who killed Philip?

BC: I am.

CB: Didn't you originally tell the police you thought the killer was a stranger? A drifter?

BC: Well, I wasn't far off, was I?

CB: But Benito Flores was known to the Fontaine family. And he lives here in town.

BC: I'm not going to comment on his character. That's been well-established in court.

CB: Has anyone claimed the reward you offered after the murder?

BC: I've been asked not to talk about that until after the trial is over, so I really can't comment.

CB: Who asked you not to talk about it?

BC: I'm afraid I have to be going now. I have a meeting.

CB: One last question before you go. The jury has been deliberating now for almost three full days. Why do you think they haven't decided on a verdict yet?

BC: I have no idea.

CB: What do you think the verdict will be when it finally comes in?

BC: It'll be guilty. Because he is guilty.

The third day of deliberations ended without a verdict. The jury will resume deliberations Thursday morning.

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Flores prosecutor talks evidence, witnesses and waiting for a verdict

ADA Calvin Dollarhide

Fontaine murder trial: Jury Deliberations Day 1

Late Friday afternoon, closing arguments wrapped up in the Benito Flores contentious trial, and court adjourned for the weekend.

As he left the courthouse, prosecutor Calvin Dollarhide spoke briefly to reporters.

Crime Beat: On Friday, you sounded very confident that the jury will find Benito Flores guilty. Still, this must be a very tense time, waiting for the verdict.

Calvin Dollarhide: There's always some tension just because of the waiting, but at this stage, it's a little more like impatience to hear the verdict. On those rare occasions where deliberations drag out for days, it can become stressful, but we're not expecting that to happen this time.

CB: You think the jury will come back quickly?

CD: I hope so. This entire process from the night Philip Fontaine was murdered all the way through to today has been very painful and upsetting for the Fontaine family, so for their sake, I hope justice is done swiftly.

CB: And of course, you're expecting a guilty verdict.

CD: I am. The evidence against Benito Flores is strong, and I think the jury will see through the defense's smoke and mirrors.

CB: You're not at all concerned that the defense may have convinced any of the jury members that Grant Fontaine killed his father?

CD: No. The defense painted a very melodramatic picture, but this isn't a soap opera. The jurors will see that tale for what it is: a desperate attempt to escape punishment by throwing blame on someone else.

CB: You mentioned the Fontaine family a moment ago. How did they respond to the defense's accusations against Grant Fontaine?

CD: I won't presume to speak for the Fontaines. My guess is what the defense did only made this situation more painful for them, but you'd have to ask them.

CB: How involved were Ashley and Grant Fontaine in your prosecution?

CD: We work closely with all victims' families, and we did the same with the Fontaines.

CB: In what ways did you work closely with the Fontaines specifically?

CD: I'm not going to get into specifics, but generally, we've kept them informed of developments in the case. They contacted us regularly for updates. They provided additional information about Philip Fontaine when we requested it. We worked together to see Mr. Fontaine's killer brought to justice.

CB: The Fontaines are a very prominent family in town. Did that influence the strategy or direction of your prosecution?

CD: Absolutely not. The social standing of a victim or a victim's family has no bearing on how a case is prosecuted.

CB: Because Mr. Flores and his attorney have argued that he is being prosecuted because he's a poor Latino and the person they claim is the real killer is a wealthy white male.

CD: Just because they said it doesn't mean it's true. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Race is not a factor. Income level is not a factor. Social standing is not a factor. We go where the evidence leads us, and in this case, the evidence led us to Mr. Flores and no one else.

CB: One significant piece of evidence was the $15,000 cash that Philip Fontaine had the day he was killed. You allege that Benito Flores stole that money, but the money itself has never been found. What do you expect the jurors to make of that?

CD: First, I would say that the money hasn't been found – yet. After Mr. Flores is convicted, he may feel motivated to tell us where he hid it.

CB: You're assuming he'll be convicted.

CD: Yes, I am.

CB: But since you didn't find the money in his possession, why should anyone believe that he ever had it at all?

CD: Because people saw him with it on the night of the murder.

CB: But Mr. Flores admitted to selling drugs, and that's a cash-only business. Why assume the cash he had that night came from Philip Fontaine rather than Flores' own criminal activity?

CD: He would have to be the most successful drug dealer that Yoknapatawpha County has ever seen to have that much cash in his pockets from one night's sales. We're talking about a street-level dealer, not some kingpin. Multiple witnesses testified that they'd never seen him with that much cash before, and these are people who saw him on a regular basis. No, he stole that money from Philip Fontaine after he killed him.

CB: You don't have even a sliver of a doubt that Benito Flores is the killer?

CD: Absolutely not. I don't prosecute people I think are innocent. Mr. Flores killed Philip Fontaine, and he is being held to account for that.

CB: You said earlier that you're hoping for a quick verdict. How soon do you expect the jury to come back?

CD: I've been doing this too long to think I can say for certain what a jury will do or how soon they'll do it.

CB: Fair enough. Then at what point will you start to worry that the jury isn't leaning your way? After two days? Three? More?

CD: That's something no one can predict. We'll just have to see what happens.

CB: If the deliberations do go on for several days or more, would you consider offering Benito Flores a plea deal?

CD: I have every confidence that the jury will find Mr. Flores guilty soon. If that doesn't happen on the timetable we're hoping for, well… we'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it.

As of 4:30 PM CST, the jury is still deliberating.

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