SERIES CREATES FUROR IN VIDALIA, BUT WILL IT BRING CHANGE?

Justice Betrayed" hailed and condemned. Theft of papers reported.

The U.S. Attorney's Office says it's too late to prosecute Vidalia
officials for the wiretapping of a GBI agent in 1997, but the state could
still reopen its investigation into the mysterious death of a man found in
the swimming pool of Vidalia's city attorney.

U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., says he plans to bring the case to the
attention of Gov. Sonny Perdue during a breakfast meeting with other
federal lawmakers Monday at the Governor's Mansion.

"It seems to me that there were a series of minor to semi-major decisions
made at the time that weren't good ones, and the aggregate effect was
catastrophic," Kingston said.

In a four-part series, the Savannah Morning News explored questions
surrounding the death of local resident Henry Dickerson Jr., and the
wiretapping of a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent looking into what
public officials knew about the case.

Kingston spoke with U.S. Attorney Rick Thompson, a Vidalia resident, to see
whether it was too late to prosecute the city officials who wiretapped GBI
Agent Vickey Horton Tapley.

Thompson said it is too late -- the statute of limitations on non-capital
federal felonies is five years.

Thompson took over the office in November 2001 from Donnie Dixon, who
decided not to pursue criminal charges against the Vidalia officials.

"The question is why it wasn't investigated at the time," Kingston said. "I
don't have the answer to that."

He called the entire situation "frustrating," saying the wiretapping,
botched death investigation and thwarted drug sting are "dots that are hard
to connect except for the theme that nothing was looked into."

The state would have to take the lead in reopening the Dickerson case and
making structural changes to the GBI, which removed Tapley from criminal
investigations in Vidalia to restore harmony with city officials. GBI
Director Vernon Keenan and public relations staff did not return phone calls.

ëHow dare you'

Reaction to the series in Vidalia has been powerful. Outrage was directed
at both the city's political leaders and the Savannah Morning News.

The Morning News circulated additional newspapers in Toombs County over the
four days. Callers reported hundreds of copies of the Morning News were
stolen from the racks. Residents complained they couldn't find papers, and
drove as far as Savannah to get them.

Business leaders planned to purchase a full-page ad in the Morning News to
tout the city's positive aspects, while the city of Vidalia cancelled its
subscription to the paper.

The local newspaper and news radio station featured a series of interviews
with Vidalia officials defending themselves against the articles.

"How dare you come into the community and start such an uproar, fueled
simply by hatred rumors and half-truths," wrote Vidalia resident Joe Fletcher.

Others praised the paper's coverage.

A petition is circulating to remove several of the public officials named
in the series -- including Mayor Ronnie Dixon and Coroner Mandel Edenfield.

Edenfield, who decided not to hold a coroner's inquest into the Dickerson
case and declared the death an accidental drowning, made a racist statement
to reporters asking questions about the death.

"He needs to go," said resident Melissa Durden. "If you make a statement
like that, you're not even going to touch a body."

Durden said the railroad track that divides the town racially is symbolic
of the lingering racism in the minds of many residents.

"A lot of people are talking and they really want things changed," she
said. "It's black and white. They're asking a lot of questions."

There are no statutes of limitations for homicide investigations or
coroner's inquests. Dickerson's sister, Rachel Moore, hopes that an inquest
soon will be held, and some authority other than the Vidalia police will
investigate her brother's death in a thorough manner. People who have
called and written her parents in Vidalia agree.

"They are saying there should be a reopening of the case," Moore said.
"They should do a coroner's inquest and even push to remove some officials
from office because of the facts that were uncovered.

"It's got to happen to truly bring closure to the whole matter."

She also thanked Kingston for showing leadership.

"I think it needs to go to that level to really make a statement," she said.

Lawmakers respond

The agency that certifies law officers in Georgia, the Georgia Peace
Officer Standards and Training Council, says it's reviewing copies of
"Justice Betrayed."

POST investigated Vidalia Police Chief Darrell Collins when the wiretapping
surfaced in the federal lawsuit, but took no action because there were no
criminal charges. POST didn't know about records showing Collins' violent,
erratic behavior.

"After getting the material and going through it, we are doing a serious
evaluation of the information. Consideration will be given to see if we can
reopen the case," said Brad Pope, director of investigations.

Lawmakers from Vidalia were quick to defend their local officials.

State Rep. Greg Morris, D-Vidalia, and ex-brother-in-law of Chief Collins,
said he was upset the Morning News would give so much coverage to something
with such little merit. The story was promoted by people with grudges
against city officials, he said.

"Scandal is what sells, whether it's true or not," he said. "I don't know
what you can do about that, but what we can do is continue to showcase the
good things about Vidalia."

State Sen. Tommie Williams, R-Lyons, said the stories hurt Vidalia's
ability to market itself to industries.

"When you're trying to recruit industries like DaimlerChrysler, you
wouldn't want that to be the image people from the outside have of your
community."

But state Rep. Ron Stephens, R-Garden City, said he was stunned at what he
read. He called it a break-down at many levels.

"The one thing that nobody had was accountability," he said.

State Rep. Mickey Stephens, D-Savannah, followed the series closely and was
shocked.

"It's apparent that the good-old-boy system is alive and well in Toombs
County," he said.

Mickey Stephens said he thinks the legislature needs to take a close look
at the GBI and whether the agency is independent enough to do its job.

"I'm amazed at the GBI's actions. The way the GBI handled it brings up some
questions," he said. "Where are they getting their orders?"

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