Police arrested a Carter County man and his girlfriend over the weekend in connection with an incident that sent an 84-year-old man to a local hospital.
Officers of the Carter County Sheriff’s Office arrested Eric Matthew Miller, 38, of 1955 Gap Creek Road, Elizabethton, and charged him with especially aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, possession of Schedule II drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving on a revoked license. Officers also arrested Lana Lavenia Curbey, 38, of 620 Swimming Pool Road, Hampton, and charged her with possession of Schedule IV drugs and being an accessory after the fact to especially aggravated kidnapping and aggravated assault.
Around 5 p.m. on Saturday, deputies of the Carter County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call for assistance at 1955 Gap Creek Road.
“Upon my arrival, I made contact with the complainant, Mr. Olen Clay Pate, who was visibly shaken and had blood on his shirt and hands,” CCSO Investigator Nick Andes said. “Mr. Pate advised me that he had been beaten and held against his will by his live-in farm helper, Mr. Eric Matthew Miller.”
Andes called for emergency medical personnel to come to the scene to evaluate Pate and he took photographs of the man’s injuries. “I observed in the residence phone cords removed from the outlets and obvious injuries to Mr. Pate,” Andes said.
Pate provided officers with a written statement regarding what had happened at his home. He told officers that shortly after 3 p.m. Miller became upset about an argument with Curbey and being unable to find the keys to a truck kept in the garage. Pate told officers he takes the keys out of his vehicles at night for safety.
“Mr. Pate then stated that he went into the summer house where Mr. Miller was to give him the keys to the truck when Mr. Miller became violent,” Andes said. “Mr. Pate recalled being grabbed, hit, and thrown to the ground. Mr. Pate further recalled being choked from behind by Mr. Miller’s arms and beaten with a wooden cane until it broke.
“Mr. Pate also stated that he attempted to escape Mr. Miller several times but that Mr. Miller would knock him back to the ground each time,” Andes continued. “Mr. Pate also advised that once Mr. Miller let him go, he went to the phone to call 911, but the lines were disconnected. Mr. Pate recalled that while Mr. Miller was beating him, he stated that he would kill Mr. Pate, burn his house down and that Mr. Pate would never call 911 on anyone else.”
In his statement to officers, Pate said Curbey was a witness to the assault but did not assist him.
Pate told officers he was able to make it to a neighbor’s home where he called 911. While Pate was gone to call 911, Miller and Curbey left Pate’s home, Andes said.
The Carter County Rescue Squad transported Pate to a local hospital for treatment of his wounds and to determine the extent of his injuries, Andes said.
After collecting Pate’s statement, Andes said he conferred with Assistant District Attorney Matthew Roark regarding the case and obtained a warrant for Miller’s arrest charging him with especially aggravated kidnapping and aggravated assault.
Officers got a description of the car Miller had been driving, a Toyota Corolla, and, later in the evening, they located the car as well as both Miller and Curbey in Hampton.
Deputies placed Miller under arrest on the warrant obtained by Andes. When officers searched Miller after arresting him, Andes said they found a small amount of methamphetamine in his possession as well as a pipe commonly used to smoke the drug. He was also driving the car on a revoked license, Andes added.
While speaking with Curbey, Andes said she kept placing her hands in her pockets and when he asked her what was in her pocket she handed him a plastic back containing prescription pills.
“Investigator (Mike) Little arrived on scene and, after advising Ms. Curbey of her rights, interviewed her in the rear of Deputy (Christian) Carrier’s patrol vehicle,” Andes said. “Investigator Little advised me that Ms. Curbey stated that she was at Mr. Pate’s home at the time of the assault and that she could have helped or called 911 but instead helped Mr. Miller escape by driving him away in her vehicle. Ms. Curbey further stated that she was not in fear of Mr. Miller at any time.”
Andes said he then spoke with Roark again and advised him of the new information provided by Curbey. Andes then obtained a warrant charging Curbey with being an accessory after the fact to especially aggravated kidnapping and aggravated assault.
Both Miller and Curbey appeared in Carter County General Sessions Court Monday morning for arraignment.
Judge Keith Bowers Jr. set Curbey’s bond as a $2,000 corporate bond and scheduled her to return to court on March 14.
Bowers appointed the Public Defender’s Office to represent Miller and scheduled him to return to court on Feb. 17. Bowers left Miller’s bond unchanged at $53,000.