Brewer among those charged in record Grand Jury indictments

By Walton Dunn

Staff Writer

In a record number of true bills heard (318) by the Lewis County
Grand Jury on January 4, 2010, indictments and arraignments are beginning to come to fruition.

At press time the following cases had been released to the public:

Dorothy Lorene Powers Brewer, aka Dot Anderson, has been indicted with the charge of accessory to murder after the fact. The murder case in question is the case of State of Tennessee vs James Brewer, aka Mike Anderson, in the 1978 slaying of Jimmy Carroll.

The warrant served Saturday, January 9, 2010 acknowledged Dorothy, also known as Dolly, knew her husband was charged with murder and that she provided aid in the avoidance of “arrest, trial, conviction and punishment of James Brewer by leaving the state of Tennessee...”

The couple returned to Tennessee voluntarily last year to face the charges against James Brewer.  Although charges were placed against Dotty in 1978, they were dropped at that time.  The couple lived under assumed names for more than 30 years without detection.

An arraignment hearing has been set for Februrary 8, 2010. Dotty Brewer was released on $10,000  bond.

In other cases, Andolyn P. Sims was arraigned on Monday, January 11, 2010, entering a plea of not guilty to a Class A felony charge of First Degree Murder/Attempted with additional hearings set for Februrary 8, March 8, and a plea date set for April 7, 2010. Sims will be represented by the Public Defender’s office.

Leon D. Zulewski was arraigned on charges of Vehicular Homicide, driver intoxicated, Vehicular Homicide D.U.I. first offense, failure to render aid, and failure of Immediate Notice of Accident in the death of Jeffery D. Edwards aka 10/4. Zulewski was  appointed counsel through the Public Defender’s Office and entered an initial plea of not guilty on the Class B, C, D, and E felonies. Court dates of February 8, March 8, and April 7, 2010.

A hearing was also held for Mitchel Don Catlin, originally arraigned on April 27, 2009.  John Cauley of Franklin was appointed to represent Catlin after the resignation of counsel Don Schwendimann due to health reasons.  Catlin has been arraigned on two counts of First Degree Murder with hearing dates set for February 8, March 8, and April 7, 2010.

In all of these cases the State and defendants may, by agreement, enter a negotiated plea agreement on any regularly scheduled motion date prior to the April 7, 2010 date.