Article Options

No charges filed against shooter in Vienna home invasion incident

BY ANDREA HAHN, THE SOUTHERN

Thursday, June 9, 2005 6:46 AM CDT

VIENNA - The shooting death of a 19-year-old Marion man during an apparent home invasion was justified and no charges will be filed, Johnson County State's Attorney Tricia Turner Shelton announced Wednesday.

She said a review of evidence and reports indicated Jeffrey Price was an intruder in the Eagle Point Bay, Goreville home of Albert Rolens, 78, and his wife, 71, when he was shot in the head and killed on Feb. 10.

"(Price's) actions and manner legitimately caused Albert Rolens to fear for his own life," and that of his wife, Shelton said in a release on Wednesday. "My condolences go out to both the Rolens and the Price family for the tragedy they have endured."

The incident spurred family members on both sides of the conflict to lash out at each other through the media when the shooting occurred. At the heart of the conflict was a stormy and possibly abusive relationship between two Williamson County teens.

According to information released through Shelton's office, the investigation conducted by the state police revealed that the narrative given by Rolens appears to be legitimate.

Rolens told police he was awakened by his dogs barking at about 11:30 p.m. Feb. 9. When he entered his kitchen, he felt a cold draft and found the sliding glass door to the kitchen partially open.

He told police that when he reached out to shut the door, a man in a sock cap, gloves and large coat stuck a rifle through the open door and forced his way into the

residence. The intruder, whom Rolens did not recognize at the time, told him to unplug the telephones and wake up Rolens' wife.

When Rolens' wife entered the living room, she saw a person she later identified as Price pointing a rifle at her husband, according to the narrative supplied by Shelton. She knew Price because he was a former boyfriend of her 17-year-old granddaughter, she told police.

Albert Rolens told police Price demanded they contact their granddaughter and get her to come to their residence immediately. Though he was repeatedly asked to leave, Rolens said, Price refused to go without the granddaughter.

According to the narrative, Price allowed Albert Rolens to go to the bathroom to take some medication. Rolens was able to retrieve a Ruger .45-caliber revolver from a bedroom attached to the bathroom. When he came back into the living room, he pointed the handgun at Price and told him to leave.

According to the narrative, Rolens' wife was able to grab the rifle and throw it out the front door. Then she grabbed a cell phone and ran toward the back of the residence to call 911, she told police.

Price started to go after her, and Rolens yelled at him to stop, the narrative continued. Rolens told police he feared for his wife's safety and fired a shot at Price, striking him in the head.

Police later found two pistols and a knife by Price's body. The pistols turned out to be toy guns with the orange caps marking them as toys removed. The rifle was unloaded.

Price was taken to the hospital, where he died.

Shelton said at the time of the shooting, Price was the subject of another investigation concerning allegations of rape and kidnapping made by Rolen's granddaughter.

Shelton said that while "Price's true motive when entering the Rolens residence may never be known, his actions and manner legitimately caused Albert Rolens to fear for his own life" and his wife's.

Price's mother, Misty Cooper, said in an earlier interview that her son was "a boy in love and something went wrong."

She said her son and the Rolens' granddaughter had dated for about six months and had spoken about their plans to marry and have children.

She said he had been in some trouble before the shooting, but had decided to turn his life around. Now, she said, he won't have the chance.

Cooper was not available for further comment Wednesday.

andrea.hahn@thesouthern.com

618-529-5454 x15076