About Lake Oconee news. (Greensboro, GA) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (June 2, 2017)
Page A8 Lake Oconee News Friday, June 2,2017 Mdver Continued from A1 Lynward Lyndsey May 12. A letter from Mclver’s defense attorney, William Hill Jr, states Mclver considers the work of the Putnam Development Au thority to be extremely im portant. Expressing he has great respect for the members of the PDA, and great af fection for the community it serves, Mclver’s letter stated he “is not unmind ful that the death of his beloved wife, Diane, and the attempts by the Fulton County District Attorney to affix criminal blame to a tragic accident, may be a distraction to the import ant work of the PDA.” As of press time, there hasn’t been any information received regarding who would fill the open seat or when the position would be filled. Over the course of a nearly eight-month inves tigation by Atlanta authori ties, media across the world including The Fox News Channel, People Magazine and the U.K.’s Daily Mail have joined local media’s coverage of the incident. As this concerns a local citizen and, until recently, a local board member, The Eatonton Messenger has compiled information re garding the shooting as well as the parties involved. Who is involved: Claud "Tex" Mclver Originally charged with manslaughter and reckless conduct in the shooting death of his wife Diane; less than eight months later, he was indicted on murder charges. A corpo rate attorney until his late 2016 retirement, he was a partner for Atlanta-based law firm Fisher & Phillips, which he joined decades earlier, and owned two com panies associated with the mining company Arcilla. Also until recently, he served on the board of the Putnam Development Au thority and was appointed by his peers to serve on the Central Georgia Develop ment Authority. He served on the State Board of Elec tions and was an advisor on the American Bar Associa tion’s Standing Committee on Gun Violence. An active Republican, he donated time and money to Republi can candidates and causes. The Mclvers were married nearly 11 years. Diane Mclver Along with sharing a Putnam County ranch with husband Tex, she was an Atlanta resident for more than 45 years. President of U.S. Enterprises, an umbrella corporation of Corey Companies, she had ownership in other compa nies, including Clay Man agement, as well as owning several properties. Promi nent in the State Republi can Party, she and Tex held fundraisers for local and federal political hopefuls at the couple’s ranch in Putnam County. She and Tex were active supporters of “Blue Lives Matter.” Patricia "Dani Jo" Carter Master cosmetologist, makeup artist and blogger, Dani Jo was friends with Diane for about 40 years and was driving the SUV when the shooting occurred. According to statements from her attorney, Lee Davis, Dani Jo said she was driving the vehicle because she did not drink and Tex and Diane had drunk wine at dinner that evening. In statements to police the night of the incident, Dani Jo said she and Diane were up front talking while Tex slept in the back seat. She thought something had hit the car until Diane said she thought she’d been shot; Dani Jo then immediately drove to Atlanta’s Emory Hospital, her attorney told media. EarSBs BaiSS May - September Saturdays, 8am-12pm www.vharmonycrossing.com It s your move. As the #1 real estate company in Georgias Lake Country, we attract more buyers...period. Serious about buying or selling? Call Coldwell Banker. COLDWELL BANKER COMMERCIAL LAKE COUNTRY PREVIEWS COLDUieU. BANK6RQ LAKE OCONEE REALTY LAKE COUNTRY www.cbcLakeCountry.com • www.cbLakeOconee.com/Previews • www.cbLakeOconee.com Each office is independently owned and operated. This mailing is not intended to solicit properties already listed with another brokerage. Madison Office: 168 S. Main Street • 706-342-1440 Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills With roots buried deep in Putnam County soil, he has been repeatedly elected sheriff for more than 20 years by the citizens. A friend of the Mclver’s, he was asked by Tex shortly after the incident to inven tory and remove all guns from both his Putnam estate and Buckhead condo. He was called to testify in the defense’s case after a gun was found in a sock drawer during a search of the condo. Paul Howard Jr. Chief prosecutor in the case, his office continued the investigation after Tex was originally charged with manslaughter, eventually obtaining a malice murder indictment. Serving a fifth term as Fulton County District Attorney, he is the first black American to be elected D.A. in the state of Georgia. During his tenure, he installed a deputy D.A. program, placing assistant D.A.’s in satellite offices throughout Fulton County. He is a graduate of More house College with a degree in political science and, while at Emory Universi ty’s School of Law, he was elected president of the Black American Law Student’s Association. He is a direc- tor-at-large of the National Association of District At torneys, a member of the National Black Prosecutors Association, the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials and 100 Black Men of Atlanta. Clint Rucker Fulton County Assistant District Attorney, and D.A. Howard’s criminal prosecu tor for the past 20 years, he is a member of the Atlanta Bar Association, National Black Prosecutors Associ ation and 100 Black Men of America - South Metro Chapter. A prosecutor in the Atlanta Public Schools test cheating case, his cases have been profiled on a number of television networks includ ing NBC Dateline, A&E Cold Case Files and 48 Hours. Judge Robert McBurney Fulton County Superior Court Judge and 1990 Harvard graduate, he is a member of the Joint Gov ernance Committee and serves on the Georgia Com mission of Family Violence. Judge Jaslovelin Lall She modified the condi tions of Tex’s bond in late Janunary 2017 to allow him to remove an ankle monitor and continue his service to the development authority. A month later, in another hearing to release the couple’s SUV, she ruled in favor of the prosecution who said Atlanta police wanted to hold the Ford Expedition to continue examination of the vehicle. Serving as a magistrate judge pro hac in Fulton County since 2006, while maintaining a solo general practice, she is Geor gia’s first South Asian female judge. Raised in Singapore; she graduated with a BS and MBA from Wright State University before obtaining her JD from the College of Law at Georgia State Uni versity. What happened: Sept. 25, 2016 - At about 10:40 p.m., Diane was shot while she, Tex and driver of the SUV, Dani Jo, were driving to the couple’s Atlanta condo, and died hours later at Emory Hospital on Sept. 26 at about 1:20 a.m. Defense Attorney Stephen Maples said the doctor who worked to save Diane’s life told him, Tex and Atlanta Police, who were in the emergency room waiting area, that Diane said to her before going in to have surgery, “It was an accident.” Atlanta police originally said they were not disputing Tex’s account of the incident but they were continuing their investigation into the facts. Regarding a statement Maples said Dani Jo made to him, “Tex asked, Was anybody hurt,’ and Dani Jo said, ‘No, I’m fine.’ Diane said, ‘I think I’ve been shot.’ Dani Jo actually thought Diane was kidding until she looked over and saw blood.” Sept. 30, 2016 - Bill Crane, spokesman for Tex, announced Tex asked Diane to hand him a .38 from the middle console because they were approached by individuals at an exit ramp as well as being worried about unrest surrounding Black Lives Matter protests in the area at that time. Tex later said in a statement to media outlets he did not say anything about Black Lives Matter being the reason he asked for the gun. Oct. 5, 2016 — At the request of his attorney, Tex took a polygraph test conducted by a private contractor, former FBI agent Richard Rackleff, an examiner who had been running lie detector tests for 30 years. Tex was asked if he intentionally fired the gun that night; if he had con sciously done anything with the gun that might cause it to fire; and if he knowingly caused the gun to discharge inside the SUV. His answer to all three questions was “No.” The examiner reported finding no deception indi cated in any of Tex’s answers. Oct. 6, 2016 — Tex com mented publicly the shooting was an accident after he was startled awake and the gun went off. Oct. 24, 2016 - State Sen. Vincent Ford, D-At- lanta, issued a letter to Senate leaders calling for the removal of Tex as vice chairman of the State Board of Elections. Ford stated in that letter, “I believe Mr. Mclver’s actions since the tragic death of his wife have called into question his views on the African-American community, and undermine the presumption of fairness he must have to serve as a member of the board.” Dec. 21, 2016 — After being charged by Atlanta police with involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct after the shooting, Tex turned himself in. Feb. 14, 2017 - At a hearing to release the vehicle Diane was shot in, defense attorneys argued Tex wanted to have his own forensic work performed on the Expedition and dispose of the $582 per month lease payments. Tex’s defense attorney William Hill argued before Judge Lall that Atlanta investigators had the Expedition for 135 days and completed forensic analysis. Prosecutor Rucker said the State wanted addi tional testing from an inde pendent expert. The order, obtained the night before from Judge McBurney, pointed to further review for “forensic evidence, trajecto ry evidence and muzzle to target evidence.” Referring to the Monday night request, Hill declared to media that it was “a secret hearing and a secret affidavit.” Judge Lall denied the defense’s request, ruling in favor of the prosecution. April 14, 2017 — While searching for the Mclvers’ financial records, Fulton County D.A. Investigator Brian Salters allegedly found a 9MM handgun in a sock drawer at Tex’s Buckhead condo. April 21, 2017 — Pros ecutors argued to Judge McBurney that the discov ery of the firearm means Tex’s bail should be revoked. “His actions demonstrate a tremendous, tremendous safety concern to the point where his actions consti tute a danger to others,” Rucker argued, citing Tex’s “propensity for dangerous conduct.” Defense Attorney Maples asked for the motion to revoke the bond be denied, arguing the search that produced the gun was unlawful, illegal and every thing seized in the search was also unlawful. April 26,2017 — Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills testified he had previously inventoried and removed several guns from Tex’s Pea Ridge Road Ranch. April 27, 2017 — A Fulton County Grand Jury indicted Tex on charges of murder, felony murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, posses sion of a firearm during the commission of a felony and three counts of influencing witnesses. As a result of the indictments, the Grand Jury issued Tex a “no bond” warrant for his arrest. Tex was taken into custody and, as of press time, is still in jail. An arraignment hearing is scheduled for next week. Zoysa types Bermuda Centipede St. Augustine Fescue Atlanta Metro Sod is a local disabled veteran- owned small business. We specialize in sod installation. Call for a FREE estimate! 470.899.8125 atlantametrosod. com Atlanta Metro- Serf SERVING THE GREATER LAKE OCONEE AREA
