Staff Writer

More arrests have been made by the Union County Sheriff's Office in connection with a stalking case.

Misty Gale Palmer, 25, of 136 Fairforest Heights, Buffalo, was charged with disorderly conduct and simple assault.

Kevin Wayne Haney, 21, of 820 Flat Drive, Buffalo, and Richard Dustin Watts, 20, of 115 Clifford Drive, Buffalo, both were charged with disorderly conduct.

Jessica Rae Levister, 18, of 500 Toney Road, was charged with disorderly conduct.

A report written in reference to the arrest of Palmer, Haney and Watts said officers were called to 250 Haywood St. late Wednesday for a disturbance.

The residence is the home of the 17-year-old son of Margaret Ann Groves Stephens. Ms. Stephens was murdered in a wooded area behind the Buffalo Mill Pond on Aug. 19, 2007.

People at the residence said the three had been driving by the residence in a pickup truck on several occasions, shouting profane and vulgar remarks toward people on the porch, trying to provoke and altercation. The people at the house also said the three in the truck had asked them to come out into the roadway and fight them

A 19-year-old man told Deputy Thom McAbee he walked to the edge of the property to tell those in the truck they needed to leave when Ms. Palmer stepped out of the vehicle with what appeared to be a shovel and attempted to hit him with it

The three were found on 209 Drug Store St. and arrested. Their truck was found on Flat Drive just below the residence on Haywood Street. Sgt. Dee Haney found the wooden baseball bat in the truck.

Adam Wayne Fisher, 19, of 317 Linersville Road, Jeffrey Tyler Gregory, 19, of 319 Fire Lane and Jesse Glenn Robinson, 19, of 212 Buffalo St., all were charged Wednesday by the sheriff's office with stalking. The victim this case is the 17-year-old son of Ms. Stephens. Josh Howell of Buffalo, an acquaintance of Fisher and Gregory, pleaded guilty to murdering Ms. Stephens on April 3 and was sentenced to 49 years in prison.

Fisher is charged with misprision of a felony in the death of Mrs. Stephens. He also faces charges in connection with a theft at Phillips Hosiery on Linersville Road on Aug. 21, 2007.

Gregory is charged with accessory after the fact to a felony in connection with Ms. Stephens death.

The stalking case began when deputies were called to the Buffalo Mill Pond Tuesday night after it was reported that a large crowd had gathered, a fight was possibly going on and someone had a gun.

Officers were stopped by several people who said Fisher and Gregory were together and Fisher had a gun.

Witnesses said Fisher and others rode by the house on Haywood Street on two occasions, taunted Mrs. Stephens' son and told him to come out and fight. Family members had prevented the teen-ager on Haywood Street from going out and meeting Fisher and the others.

Sgt. Jimmy Johnson asked members of the victim's family to come to the sheriff's office and give statements. A report said the taunting and harassment the victim has been subjected to is related to the death of his mother and because of the involvement of Fisher and Gregory in the case.

In reference to the arrest of Ms. Levister, a report said Sgt. Jimmy Johnson was meeting with witnesses at the patrol office to conduct interviews concerning one of the incidents that occurred in Buffalo when a white SUV driven by Ms. Levister passed by traveling west on West Main Street. Ms. Levister cursed very loudly and in a very rude manner at some of the witnesses after they crossed the street and entered the parking lot. She was stopped by a public safety officer and returned to the patrol office. She admitted to officers there that she had cursed the other people.

Man charged with assault

A Union man is accused of severely beating a woman.

James Arthur “Tony” Epps Jr., 56, of 3235 Whitmire Highway, was charged Wednesday by the Union County Sheriff's Office with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature.

On Sept. 5, a woman called 911 after her 49-year-old daughter came home with injuries and said she had been beaten by Epps.

A report said Cpl. Scott Ruby observed injuries to the victim's eyes, nose, face and neck. Photos were taken before Union County EMS transported the woman to the hospital.

The victim told Ruby she had been visiting a friend and was inside his camper when Epps repeatedly beat her all over and refused to let her leave. She said every time she tried to leave, Epps would drag her back. She got away by crawling through a rear window, getting in her car and driving home.

Stolen items

On 131 Hancock St., a victim told Sgt. Russell Vinson Wednesday that someone went under the residence of a rental house and cut the wiring going to the stove, heat pump and refrigerator. Damage was estimated at $500.

On 125 Estes Road, a man told Cpl. Jeff Wright that someone took two knives and his debit card from his 1996 Ford while it was parked in his yard. The knives were made by Smith & Wesson and Winchester and are worth $70