ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, December 23, 1995 TAG: 9512250018
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: FINCASTLE
SOURCE: MIKE HUDSON STAFF WRITER
A judge has appointed a special prosecutor to review allegations that Botetourt County Sheriff Reed Kelly assaulted a jail inmate who Kelly said had written him a threatening letter.
Circuit Judge George Honts appointed Lynchburg Commonwealth's Attorney William Petty to review the findings of a state police probe into the alleged incident.
State police have been looking into claims that Kelly assaulted the inmate, Jason Joseph Jones, 19, of Eagle Rock, after Jones allegedly wrote a letter threatening Kelly and his family with rape, dis- memberment and other violence.
Kelly said Friday that he never assaulted Jones.
"I haven't done anything wrong," he said. "And everybody connected with this knows I haven't done anything wrong."
But Kelly said he thought it was a good idea to bring in Petty to look into the case as a neutral third party.
It is standard procedure for a judge to appoint a special prosecutor from outside the jurisdiction in cases involving accusations against public officials. Petty's job will be to decide whether charges should be filed against Kelly.
"I feel certain once he takes a look at it, he'll see it for what it is," Kelly said. He said the allegations are "obviously political in nature. ... It's the outgrowth of some dirty local politics."
Kelly declined to be more specific about what role he believes politics are playing in the allegations.
The incident allegedly happened after Jones was jailed on charges of grand larceny and arson of a motor vehicle. Since then, he also has been charged with making written threats of death or bodily injury, a felony.
The sheriff said that after he received the letter, he went to the jail to have Jones moved to another cell. It was then, Kelly said, that "I told him what would happen if he messed with my family." Kelly wouldn't say exactly what he told Jones
Several weeks ago, Jones was sent to a state hospital for a psychiatric evaluation after a judge ruled that he might not be mentally competent to understand the charges against him. The findings of that evaluation are sealed in the Circuit Court clerk's office.
Jones is still in the Botetourt County Jail. Kelly said Jones has threatened to sue him over the quality of the jail's food, and to get moved to another jail.
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