Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Tuesday, November 27, 2018
(LINTON) - A Linton man has been charged with murder in the stabbing death of 31-year-old Scott White.
On Monday, Greene County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Keven McIntosh charged 24-year-old Andrew Damron with murder, two counts of intimidation, obstruction of justice and false informing.
Damron allegedly used a 12-inch long knife to stab and kill White. Then, according to witnesses, he licked White's blood from the knife as he sat in the truck of another man who had given him a ride to Whites' house on 5th Street NW in Linton.
Damron allegedly told the man to drive away, or he would kill him too.
Damron was arrested an hour after the altercation on a warrant for petition to revoke probation until officers could complete their investigation. Officers found him hiding in a closet at his brother Michael Damron's home. Police say he was covered with White's blood but had suffered no visible injuries.
Damron was arrested and transported to the jail at 1:30 a.m. Thanksgiving morning. He is being held in the Greene County Jail without bond.
Police Chief Troy Jerrell says Linton Police officers responded to the home around 9 p.m. Wednesday after White's girlfriend Melody Sebastian called 911. When they arrived they found White bleeding from wounds to his neck and chest area. He was unconscious but still breathing.
White was transported to Greene County General Hospital where he was pronounced dead. White suffered multiple stab wounds. According to Forensic Pathologist, Dr. Roland Kohr White died from a stab wound to his neck.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Sebastian did not see the stabbing but was in the home when the altercation took place outside.
White walked back into the home after the stabbing and told her he needed to go to the hospital and that he was stabbed by Andy Damron. White collapsed while the two were walking to a vehicle to go to the hospital. She then called 911 while attempting to stop the bleeding.
Sebastian told police, two men had knocked on their door wanting to talk to White. White told the men it wasn't a good time, but went outside anyway to speak to them. She stayed inside but did hear the men talking and then saw them drive away in a truck.
Police collected surveillance video from White's home which recorded the murder.
According to police, the video shows at 8:44 p.m., a truck pulls into the driveway and Andrew and his cousin Jed Damron, also known as Jeremiah Damron, exit the truck. After initially going to the back door, the two go to the front of the residence, which is off camera. At 8:51 p.m., after walking on and off camera, the two males get back into the truck. Andrew who is in the passenger seat adjusts an item on his right hip. The item appears to be consistent with the shape of a knife carried on a belt.
The video then shows Scott White, exits the back door of the home and he approaches the truck, putting on a belt. At approx. 8:53 p.m., Andrew exits the truck after Jed appears to put the vehicle into park and he begins to speak with White. After talking for a few minutes, the two shake hands.
White then turns and speaks to Jed. Andrew is standing slightly behind and to the side of White. Police say Andrew was continuously touching and handling the knife on his belt, as well as covering and uncovering it with his shirt and coat. Andrew also appears to be talking or making movements that attract White's attention. White reacts to this and begins to interact with Andrew. Andrew and White appear to talk and their posture and body language changes and they both appear to be angry and are arguing which take place for a little over a minute and ends with White opening the truck door and Andrew entering the truck and White closing the door.
White then walks away from the truck and begins to move a piece of plyboard. At approx. 8:56 p.m., Andrew can be seen talking and making a hand gesture, which causes White to become angry and approach the truck. As White approaches the truck, Andrew is captured on the video making movements with his right hand on his right side. White stands at the window, with his hands at his sides and takes an aggressive posture towards Andrew.
The video captures Andrew making a quick movement, and White is seen turning away from Andrew grasping the right side of his neck. White enters his back door and the truck drives away.
Police say the entire interaction is approximately four minutes.
When questioned by police Damron told different stories on what happened. He first claimed he'd been drinking at his brother's house for several hours. Then changed his story saying he never had a knife and hadn't left his brother's home and denied that police had found him hiding in the closet.
He then told police he had left his brother's home with Jed to go to the liquor store, then changed his story again saying Jed's girlfriend had given him a ride to the liquor store.
He then claimed he couldn't remember what happened saying if he did stab anyone, it was because they were coming at him.
Later during the interview, Damron allegedly says he might have stabbed White, but he hadn't gone to White's home to kill anyone but if he accidentally stabbed White, he was sorry.
Police say Damron then said he did stab White in self-defense while sitting in Jed's truck.
After making that statement, he requested an attorney.
While officers were interviewing Damron, other detectives questioned Jed Damron. He told police that Andrew had asked him for a ride to White's home. When the two arrived they knocked on the door, White answered, told them it was not a good time but Andrew became upset and kept pressing White to come outside.
Jed told police Andrew and White talked outside and he thought everything was fine and saw the two men shake hands and Andrew got back in the truck. But after that, Andrew became agitated and told him to get him out of there before he shot White. Jed told police he didn't know if Andrew had a gun, but Andrew was known to carry one. White who was walking back to the house heard Andrew make the threat, turned and walked back to the truck.
Jed told police he saw Andrew raise his arm toward White at the window, then White turned and walked toward his back door. Damron then demanded he be taken back to his father's house and then started waving a knife around.
Jed told police he knew Andrew had stabbed White because the knife was covered with blood. Andrew told Jed to "drive, or I'll kill you too" and said, "I told him (White) not to f*** with me" before licking the blood-covered blade of the knife.
Jed told police he never took Andrew to the liquor store. He told police he took Andrew to see White because Andrew told him he wanted to drink a beer and visit with White. Jed told police he didn't know why Andrew stabbed White.
After the stabbing, Jed drove Andrew to Andrew's brother's house.
Police also interviewed Michael Damron, Andrew's brother, who said Andrew was at his house visiting and drinking. Andrew told him he was going to walk to his father's house to get some cigarettes. Michael says Andrew then returned to his house with Jed in Jed's truck.
Michael told police that when Andrew and Jed came into the house they were "freaking out" and that is when he learned that Andrew had stabbed White. Michael told police he asked both men to leave. The two men left and then Andrew returned wanting Micahel's shotgun. Michael refused to give Andrew the gun and asked him again to leave. He told police he thought Andrew had left. But when police arrived they found Andrew hiding in the closet. He told police Andrew must have re-entered the home through the back door.
Michael told police he was familiar with the knife used to stab White. He had given the large fixed-blade black handled hunting knife, 12-inches long, with a serrated base beneath the regular blade to Andrew. He told police Andrew carried it on his right hip in a black molded plastic sheath.
Police have not recovered the murder weapon.
They did impound Jed's truck and Indiana State Police crime scene technicians collected blood swabs from the inside of the vehicle.
1340 AM WBIW welcomes comments and suggestions by calling 812.277.1340 during normal business hours or by email at comments@wbiw.com
© Ad-Venture Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.