Marshals search for murder suspect

By HOLBROOK MOHR
Associated Press
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Authorities have searched a house in central Mississippi for a man suspected of fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend and wounding her adult daughter in Tennessee in 2005.
The U.S. Marshals Service was acting on a tip on Tuesday and searched a home in Terry, Miss., for Robert Lee King.
King, 47, is on the agency’s most wanted list and has been featured on the television show America’s Most Wanted. He’s suspected of fatally stabbing Dorothy Smith and wounding her daughter in Memphis on Dec. 1, 2005. He’s wanted on charges of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.
Diana Smith says she woke to her mother’s screams that morning about 4 a.m. She walked to her mother’s bedroom and saw King stabbing her, according to the Marshals Service. Diana Smith ran and tried to lock herself in a bedroom to call for help, but King broke through the door and cut her neck, authorities say. She has since recovered.
The search for King in Mississippi is documented in a criminal complaint in U.S. District Court in Jackson that says another man was arrested at the home.
Task force agents were given permission to search the home, but when one of the officers went into the last bedroom, Royce Funchess was sitting on a bed pointing a gun at the officer, according to court records.
The officer fired one shot that struck a wall near Funchess’ head. He eventually complied with orders to come out of the bedroom, the court records say.
Funchess is charged with being a felon in possession of a gun.
The search continues for King.
Richard Griffin, supervisory agent for the U.S. Marshals Service in Jackson, said today that task force agents were acting on a Crime Stoppers tip during the search in Terry, south of Jackson.
“We’re basically chasing down every lead. At this point we really don’t know where Robert is, but it’s a situation where you have to check every lead,” Griffin said.  
Griffin said King has ties to Mississippi, particularly in the Delta region, and to the Chicago area. A reward of up to $25,000 has been offered for information leading to his arrest.
Funchess’ lawyer had no comment today.

Published in The Messenger 8.10.12

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