Women explain Ridgely murder

Now, 18-year-old Latandria "Rudy" Kimble faces a likely indictment for first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.

Lake County General Sessions Court Judge Danny Goodman held a preliminary hearing Wednesday afternoon and determined Wednesday afternoon that there was enough probable cause to bind the case over to the action of a grand jury. The grand jury is scheduled to meet July 7.

Kimble reportedly used a car to pin Andrea "Angel" Pierce, 24, to a carport wall on March 2. She was fatally injured in the attack.

Another 17-year-old girl, who had been fighting with Kimble most of the day, was also injured. The 17-year-old jumped out of the way as Kimble's vehicle approached.

Kimble's attorney, Tim Boxx of the District Public Defender's office, argued for a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter. A charge of first-degree murder requires that the death be premeditated. Boxx said he doesn't believe the state has shown that the fatal assault was premeditated. Instead, he said, it occurred during a moment of excitement and passion, which would exempt it from "premeditation."

Assistant District Attorney Renee Creasy disagreed. She argued that the path Kimble took over the curb, across the yard and between a tree and mailbox showed her intention. Kimble set a course toward the 17-year-old girl whom she had threatened to kill several times that day, Creasy said.

Three witnesses were called to testify Wednesday: the 17-year-old victim, a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agent and a woman who was in Kimble's car when it crushed Pierce.

The 17-year-old, who has a history of fights with Kimble, described a series of encounters on March 2. It reportedly began that day with Kimble striking the teen's mother. The 17-year-old said she received a number of text messages on her cell phone, taunting her and demanding that she fight. At one point, Kimble drove past the teen-ager and swerved toward her. The teen said she swung a baseball bat at the car and broke the windshield.

Kimble and the teen relayed messages through others and through text messages. "She told me I was going to die tonight," the teen said, recalling one of Kimble's threats.

Instead of reporting the threat to law enforcement officers, the teen said she decided to handle the situation herself. "We usually handle it in the streets," she said.

Courtney Jones of Ridgely said she was with Kimble when Kimble and the teen decided they would fight with weapons on Bishop Street.

Jones said witnesses broke up the fight after they realized too much blood was being lost.

The 17-year-old said she was armed with a baseball bat; Kimble reportedly was armed with scissors. The teen said she dropped the bat during the fight, but Kimble kept the scissors in her hand throughout the fights.

The teen said she suffered cuts to her stomach, chest, arms and head. One gash on the back of her head required stitches.

TBI Special Agent Nathan Bishop said he was told Kimble received at least two blows to the head with a baseball bat and she had injuries that would suggest that's true.

Once the fight stopped, the teen said she went inside a friend's house to get a drink of water. When she went back outside, Kimble was preparing to leave, but drove over the curb, through the yard, directly toward her. The teen escaped, but Pierce didn't. Kimble covered her face and ran away, the teen said.

Jones' version was slightly different. She said she was in Kimble's car as they were preparing to leave. Kimble and the teen began arguing again, just before Kimble drove across the yard.

District Attorney General Phil Bivens asked Bishop to investigate the murder, and he arrived later that afternoon. The car and several other items, including some scissors and a fire poker, are now undergoing tests in the TBI crime lab, Bishop said.

Witnesses told Bishop that Kimble was leaving when she stopped her car and began arguing again with the 17-year-old. Kimble reportedly returned to the car and drove toward the teen, Bishop said. Bishop said he believes premeditation could likely be proven by looking at the path the car took, the lack of skid marks and the fight before the murder.

Judge Goodman acknowledged that he hears only a portion of the evidence during a preliminary hearing and that he wasn't sure if Kimble will ultimately be found guilty of premeditation. But, he said, enough probable cause was presented to send the case to a grand jury.

"This is a senseless death," Goodman said. "We've got a loss of life here just because (the parties involved decided) 'we're going to take care of this ourselves.'"