Man charged in fatal shooting of neighbor

By By William F. West / community editor
Sept. 13, 2002
A 54-year-old Lauderdale County man was jailed Thursday, charged with manslaughter in the shooting death of his neighbor.
Ronnie Calvin Long, 290 Crescent Lake Road, was charged in the death of Donnie Gay. Justice Court Judge Robbie Robinson set the bond at $100,000.
Lauderdale County Sheriff Billy Sollie said a deputy responded to a report of a shooting on Wednesday at about 11:15 a.m. and found Gay in a wooded area a short distance from Crescent Lake, located off Highway 145.
Sollie said witnesses told the Sheriff's Department that Long was on a tractor preparing to do some bush-hogging and that Gay was in an 18-wheeler.
Sollie said Gay stopped, exited the vehicle and approached Long.
Sollie said Gay fell to the ground at or near the point of contact.
Sollie said Long was taken into custody at his residence, located about three-fourths of a mile from the shooting. A gun was also recovered from inside the residence. Gay died Wednesday at 6:56 p.m. at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.
Sollie said Long was charged with manslaughter because a murder charge requires proof of an intent to kill. The sheriff said his department has no proof of such a plan.
Since last fall, Sollie said deputies have responded to the Crescent Lake area about disputes between family members involved in the case. "Those individuals have been advised of the proper procedures for handling property disputes," he said.
Gay was a companion of Eileen Tucker. Her daughter, Michele Pearson, said Wednesday there has been a dispute over Tucker's access to her property as well as Long's conduct.
Justice Court records show that Long accused Gay of trespassing, yelling, cursing and threatening bodily harm all on May 20. Justice Court Clerk Darlene Mayo said Judge William Gunn dismissed the claim about a month later because it stemmed from the property dispute, which is in Chancery Court.
Chancery Court records show Tucker is suing Long and a second person, Alice E. Henley. Tucker argued her property is landlocked by Long's property and so she has to drive across his property to get her property.
In court papers Tucker claims the defendants built an obstruction to the drive and also claims they constructed a building along the right of way, causing water to run and the ground to stay wet. She also claims the defendants threatened her with firearms.
The defendants in court papers deny wrongdoing and claim Tucker abandoned part of the right of way.