Steve Mensing, Editor
♦ Likely Salisbury’s most famous murder case was the brutal double homicide of B.P,75, and Ruby Tutterow,78, at their home on 507 Park Ave (pictured above) on October 29th 1992. According to law enforcement sources, the three killers: Frank Junior Chambers, 27, William Leroy Barnes,27, and Robert Lewis Blakeny,23, traveled to the Salisbury home of B.P. and Ruby Tutterow on 507 Park Avenue to rob the Tutterows. Frank Junior Chambers met B.P. Tutterow while incarcerated at the Rowan County jail, where B.P. cooked part-time and served as a deputy sheriff. B.P. was known to carry significant amounts of money in his wallet and had given defendant Chambers money to buy cigarettes and food while Chambers was in jail.
While I made inquiries around Salisbury in attempts to locate law enforcement officers with first hand knowledge of the Tutterow murders I had the good fortune of locating former Salisbury Police officers Kenny Lane and Steve Canzona and former Sheriff’s Department Lt. Rodney Cress. Kenny Lane was intimately involved in the case being the first on the murder scene and as participant in the trial. Rodney Cress guarded the three murder defendants during the trial.
First up former Salisbury Police officer Kenny Lane.
Steve Mensing: Kenny (Lane), what was your position in the Salisbury Police Department at the time?
Kenny Lane: I was a patrol officer assigned to the area from East Innes St North to East Spencer and from North Long St. East to the city limits. The Tutterow residence was at 507 Park Ave which was part of my zone I assignment.
Steve Mensing: Can you recall what you were doing the night of the murders?
Kenny Lane: It was a busy night. Officer Purser and I had just cleared from another call when we were dispatched to 507 Park Ave in reference to a possible disturbance. The dispatcher advised the caller said she was talking with the resident and someone knocked at the door. She heard a brief noise and the line went dead; she was unable to get them back and the line was busy. The dispatcher advised us the call came in second hand and was about an hour old. Officer Purser and I didn’t place the address when we were initially dispatched although we both knew BP Tutterow from the sheriff’s dept. I also knew him from several calls at Park Ave United Methodist church which was across the street from his residence. The church suffered several break-ins and Mr. Tutterow always responded to the calls.
Steve Mensing: What was it like when you arrived at 507 Park Avenue? Anything out of the ordinary?
Kenny Lane: When we arrived at the residence a small light to the side of the house was on. No other exterior lights were lit. The front living room light was on, otherwise the interior of the house was dark. We knocked at the door several times and got no answer. When we looked in the front door and window we could see the television was on and a small dog was lying in the floor. The living room and the small part of the kitchen visible were clean and orderly. There was no car in the drive and as the call was delayed, we thought perhaps the residents had left. We contacted the dispatcher and told her we were unable to get an answer and to try calling the house if she had the number else we were going to clear. The dispatcher advised she didn’t have the number for the residence. She stated the caller had been on the phone with BP Tutterow. (As soon as she stated the name it struck both of us this was B.P.’s home) Mr. Tutterow stated someone was at the door and she heard a thump at which point the line went dead. She attempted calling the Tutterow’s back until she became concerned and called Sara Potts the Tutterow’s daughter. Sara had called the incident in to ask a car go by. The dispatcher told us Sara was coming to the house. It’s not uncommon for one or both parties to leave after calling in a domestic dispute but upon hearing who the house belonged to we realized this was not a domestic.
Steve Mensing: So what did you do while you were waiting for Sara Potts to show up?
Kenny Lane: We walked to the around the house and checked in the windows, but the drapes obscured view. At the carport we noticed the door was pulled closed, but slightly cracked. We pushed the door open and were able to see into the rest of the kitchen and hallway into the bedroom. We noticed a body on the floor and made entry to determine the condition of the person. This was Mr. Tutterow and Mrs. Tutterow was inside the bedroom. Mr. and Mrs. Tutterow clearly had multiple gunshot wounds. Officer Purser was a trained EMT and immediately began to check their condition. I swept the rest of the house to ensure there were no other victims. After finishing the sweep, I returned to the bedroom. Officer Purser determined that both Tutterow’s passed. At this point we stepped out, secured the scene and called in what we had found. Sgt Gilmore and Sara Potts arrived a few minutes later.
Steve Mensing: So what was it like for you walking in on a carnage and realizing it was someone you knew?
Kenny Lane: The scene was physically like other homicides although the residence and yard were cleaner and better maintained than any other I worked. Psychologically, it was completely different. This was someone I knew and a member of the law enforcement family. In most of the homicides the victim plays a part; while they certainly don’t deserve to be murdered they are involved in something that puts them at risk. In this case the victims were totally uninvolved with the perpetrator prior to the assault. I have worked a handful of such cases since, but this was the first where the victim didn’t contribute in some way (such as being involved in a criminal act with the suspect or involved in a fight which escalated and the like). It was the most emotionally trying case I ever worked.
Steve Mensing: I imagine a whole lot of police and investigators soon showed up.
Kenny Lane: Sgt. Braze Gilmore was the first supervisor to arrive. Officer Purser and I already secured the residence and were met by him outside the side door. He advised us Lieutenant Harrison contacted Lieutenant Wilhelm and CID was responding. Lieutenant Harrison arrived shortly afterward as he was making notifications. I was initially assigned to maintain the crime scene log and was doing this as Tonya Wilhelm, our crime scene specialist, and various detectives from our agency and the SBI arrived.
In the meantime, Detective Canzona spoke with a lady who reported that Chambers, Blakeney and Barnes came by her house with a bag of jewelry. She was concerned about where they had gotten it and believed they robbed somebody. A short time later an informant advised “green eyes” (Barnes) was on W. Bank St. I dealt with Barnes before and was familiar with him so I was sent to try and locate him. Detective JD Barber and I located Barnes in the 1400 block of W Bank St. We arrested him on the outstanding order for arrest and did not question him or mention the homicide as Det. Barry Rogers was going to interview him. He was very nonchalant and didn’t speak other than asking if the order was a probation violation. (I think it was, but I am not positive that’s what it was) Sometime during the night Blakeney was also arrested, but this occurred while I was involved with Barnes and I don’t know who located him or where. Chambers came to the magistrate’s office with a preacher the following afternoon and turned himself in.
Steve Mensing: Can you tell us what you know about the three killers?
Kenny Lane: All three of the men arrested were drug addicts and all owned established criminal histories. Chambers and Barnes seemed to be responsible for planning the incident; Blakeney wasn’t very bright which I think the jury took into consideration when sentencing him to life instead of death like the other two. I was disappointed with that. Chambers and Barnes both appeared to possess no conscience whatsoever. Barnes in particular came across as cagey. Not particularly intelligent, but sneaky. Chambers had an AKA of “commodore” and Barnes AKA was “green eyes” (his eyes were green)
Steve Mensing: Could you tell us something about the Tutterow’s family? I met Brad Potts, Sara Pott’s son, the other day when I was getting a haircut. Brad’s with the Highway patrol.
Kenny Lane: Sara Potts was the Tutterow’s daughter. She was in charge of the civil division at the sheriff’s department at that time. I knew her then, but not very well as I was a new patrol officer. I have since worked with her both at the sheriff’s office and after she retired and worked at the Housing Authority. She was always a big help when trying to locate somebody or needing information for a case.
Steve Mensing: Who showed up at the Tutterow crime scene?
Kenny Lane: Sheriff Martin, Chief Deputy Haupt and most of the sheriff’s command staff as well as Chief Jacobs and the majority of the PD were there. District Attorney Kenerly I believe also came out. The SBI sent a number of agents to assist with the crime scene and the investigation. It was the largest commitment of law enforcement resources I’ve seen on any single incident other than the Presidential visits.
The primary detective was Barry Rogers; in addition to our CID, the SBI and sheriff’s office assisted and a number of additional agencies came by to offer support. The community involvement was unprecedented. I have never seen the type of outpouring of help we received that night. We received information from associates of the defendants, neighbors, a taxi driver who gave them a ride after the incident and others. A young lady Valerie Mason who initially spoke with Detective Canzona was without question the most valuable tip we received as it focused the investigation on the defendants within a few hours of the incident.
Steve Mensing: You were involved with the trial. Tell us about it?
Kenny Lane: When I was on the witness stand I described the scene and what I observed. Basically I was laying the foundation to introduce the crime scene work and what was discovered. (I remember one of Chamber’s prints was located in the house, that stands out as he denied being in the house) The defense had very few questions for me on cross examination. I assume this was because I had not processed any of the evidence and was only describing the scene I observed. The photographs of the scene corroborated what I had testified and repeatedly pointing out the defendant’s actions to the jury was not going to endear them to the jury. I was on night shift during the trial and came in to testify during the day so I only attended a few hours the morning I was on the stand. I have not been involved in any of the appeals. I was disappointed in the jury’s decision to give Blakeney life; I felt he was a willing participant just like the other two. I think his limited intelligence and the fact he was more cooperative following arrest probably swayed the jury although that’s only theory and may be wrong.
Steve Mensing: Thank you for your input.
Kenny Lane: You’re welcome.
Former Salisbury Police Detective Steve Canzona Discusses the Tutterow Murders
Steve Mensing: Steve, could you tell our Rowan Free Press readers about your participation in the Tutterow investigation?
Steve Canzona: I participated in the investigation of the Tutterow murders, but only played a small part. At the time of the murders, I was working as the lead investigator in the Salisbury Police Department’s Drug Interdiction Unit. The crimes took place in late October of 1992. Detective Barry Rodgers was the “On Call” detective when the murders happened and thus became the lead investigator for the case. He did an outstanding job and of course was assisted by many other law enforcement officers.
For my part, I was off duty and at home when the murders were first discovered. Police dispatchers called me and said that all available personnel were being called in due to a double homicide on Park Avenue. I was told one victim was a Rowan County Deputy but they didn’t give me a name. I reported directly to the crime scene on Park Ave. where I learned the victims were Deputy B.P. Tutterow and his wife, Ruby. They both had been shot multiple times and killed inside their home after a home invasion. Their bodies were discovered by officers Kenny Lane and Andy Purser after they went to the house to check on them. I had never met Ruby but I knew B.P. from his work at the Rowan County Detention Center.
The initial law enforcement response to the crime scene was hectic and almost to the point of chaos. I had never seen so many officers, from so many agencies, at a crime scene. I believe that personnel from every law enforcement agency in Rowan County were either on the scene or on the way to it. Many high ranking administrators from the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office and the Salisbury Police Department were on the scene. The Police Chief, the Sheriff, and the District Attorney were all there. I learned that the State Bureau of Investigation was on the way. No suspect information was initially available, but I remember thinking they’re never going to get away with this.
Steve Mensing: I understand you got pulled into what turned out to be a huge break in the case. Could you tell us about it?
As I prepared to start canvassing the neighborhood, looking for information, evidence, and potential witnesses, a call came from the police department. Dispatchers were asking if any investigator could possibly break away from the crime scene to talk with someone at the police station. Something to the effect of: “This person REALLY needs to talk with a detective.” Since there was no shortage of manpower at the crime scene, I volunteered to go interview whoever was at the station. It turned out to be one of the biggest breaks in the case.
Upon arrival at the police station, I met a very scared but very brave young lady Valerie Mason. She had come in on her own and was waiting in the lobby. She told me she had heard of somebody being murdered on Park Avenue and she thought she knew who did it. She told me that three guys had stopped by her apartment earlier that night and were flashing around money, jewelry, and handguns. She then identified Barnes, Blakney, and Chambers, the suspects who would ultimately be convicted of murdering the Tutterows. I immediately called Detective Rodgers and he came into the station and took over the interview with the woman. Since the suspects were well known around town as druggies and criminals, I proceeded to contact my drug informants in an attempt to locate them. Within twenty four hours all three were in custody.
Next to the murders, I guess the biggest shock to me was the fact that Chambers was out of prison and back in Salisbury. Frank Junior “Commadore” Chambers had entered a guilty plea to multiple burglary charges that resulted from his part in the looting of downtown Salisbury during Hurricane Hugo in 1989. I learned he had been out of prison for awhile and had already been arrested for other crimes since getting out. I don’t recall how many years he was supposed to serve for the Hugo crimes but he apparently only served a fraction of his sentence.
Even though arrests were quickly made, investigators continued to work for weeks on the case. As usual, the District Attorney’s Office took over for prosecution purposes. D.A. Bill Kennerly, Asst. D.A. Ari Symons, and their support staff did an outstanding job prosecuting the murderers. The result was the death penalty for Chambers and Barnes. Blakney got life in prison.
My only other involvement in the case was quite sad. In the days after the Tutterows were murdered, I was one of several officers to stand guard in the Tutterow’s home because neighborhood crack heads kept trying to break in. The Park Avenue neighborhood had been a great place at one time but those days were over. A crack house had been set up in a rental property on N. Shaver St. just around the corner from the Tutterow’s home. Some months later, after a lengthy investigation, I had the pleasure of smashing down the door at the crack house. A gun battle had recently taken place there. Myself, Sgt. Steve Whitley, and other members of the Drug Interdiction Unit enjoyed seizing the firearms, money, and drugs from the house and sending the cocaine kingpin to federal prison.
Steve Mensing: Much appreciated Steve.
Steve Canzona: Anytime.
Sheriff’s Department’s Rodney Cress Guards the Three Killers at their Trial
Steve Mensing: Rodney can you tell us about guarding the killers at their trial?
Rodney Cress: I was a Lt. with the Sheriff’s Department but had left full time to work for Philip Morris and I kept a part time status. When the trial came up in 1994, Barnes and Chambers kept making serious threats to the deputies and Sheriff Martin took them serious. He called me and asked if I would be in charge of guarding them and transporting them back and forth to Raleigh. They were moved around to lessen the threat. I first met all three of them in the holding room behind the Superior Court hallway. Barnes immediately started with his mouth and was backed up by Chambers. Blakney never said anything during the trial except to turn states evidence to keep from getting the death penalty. I closed the door with myself and the three and proceeded to tell them Mr. Tutterow was a personal friend and a long time Special Deputy and it was my privilege to be there and I assured them any threat I receive would be handled by me. They were not handcuffed but just sat there in disbelief. During the 7 week trial, Barnes and Chambers often made little remarks but I quickly kept them quite.
It was Barnes and Chambers who did the killings by shooting Mrs. Tutterow 10 times and Mr. Tutterow 7 times. Then while Blakney ransacked the house, Barnes and Chambers sat down at the kitchen table to eat with food from the refrigerator. They had no remorse, no feelings about anything and killing meant nothing to them. When the verdict came down to death for Barnes and Chambers, they both high fived each other like it was an accomplishment and started laughing. Barnes then called Chief Tim Bost over to him and said, “ I just wanted you to know, we meant to carry out our threats until you put Lt. Cress on us”. “He said he would take care of us if we tried anything and we believed him.” “You can thank him no deputies were hurt”. Bost walked off and I told Barnes that was the first truthful statement I ever heard him make. Myself and Deputy Buddy Porter took all 3 of them back to Central prison and handed them over to the guards. Barnes and Chambers both wanted to shake my hand and they both told me thanks for treating them with respect. It was a long 7 weeks but justice did prevail. However I am disappointed they have been on death row for 20 years at a huge cost to tax payers. The Tutterow family needs full closure.
Chambers and Barnes never took anything serious. They were always laughing and cutting up, especially Barnes. Barnes had those silver greenish eyes that make you think of evil.
Steve Mensing: “Thank you Rodney.”
Rodney Kress: “You’re welcome.”
More on the Salisbury Tutterow Murders:
http://www.aoc.state.nc.us/www/public/sc/opinions/1997/146-94-1.htm
