Man accused of triple murder indicted by Grand Jury
Published 8:31 am Thursday, July 25, 2013
The 23-year-old man accused of murdering 9-year-old twins and their caretaker has been indicted by a Lowndes County Grand Jury.
Deandra Marquis Lee was indicted on six charges of capital murder for allegedly murdering three people during a robbery, killing two children under the age of 14 and murdering two or more people, according to Lowndes County District Attorney Charlotte Tesmer.
Lee is accused of killing twins Jordan and Taylor Dejerinett and their 73-year-old caretaker Jack Mac Girdner.
The children had last been seen with Girdner June 3, 2012, according to information from the Department of Public Safety. When the children were reported missing on the following day, authorities said they were in the custody of Girdner, who had known the family for “about three years.” They had been reportedly last seen in Montgomery.
According to the ABI, the bodies were discovered by the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office and the ABI on a dirt road off of Alabama Hwy. 21 near Hayneville, three miles south of U.S. Hwy. 80.
A day later, the ABI confirmed they had recovered the missing 1998 white Mercedes, owned by Girdner. The car, which was missing all four of its doors, was discovered in the Minter community in south Dallas County.
Lee was captured June 9, 2012, in a small apartment in Selma, reportedly huddled in the room with a woman.
Selma Chief of Police William T. Riley said he received a tip that Lee was in an apartment at Merrimac Apartments, located on Medical Center Parkway.
After interviewing the individual who provided the tip, Riley then contacted the other agencies involved in the search, including ABI, the Alabama State Troopers and the U.S. Marshals. Authorities immediately rushed to capture Lee.
Law enforcement officials made entry into Merrimac Apartment No. 410, Riley said, and apprehended Lee without major resistance.
Tesmer said arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 9 at 9 a.m.