Published: March 19, 2009 12:31 am      

Reward raised in murder case

PALESTINE — The reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a suspect in the June 2007 murder of a Tennessee Colony man has been upped to $5,000. 

On June 1, 2007, Melton Lewis Paris, 51, was found shot to death inside his residence at 341 CR 2701 between Tennessee Colony and Yard in northern Anderson County. 

Paris had been shot once in the head, according to Anderson County Sheriff Greg Taylor. 

On Wednesday, Taylor told the Herald-Press that the Anderson County Crimestoppers’ board of directors recently voted to increase the reward in Paris’ case from $1,000 to $5,000. 

There have been few solid leads in the case, the sheriff admitted. 

“Unfortunately, we don’t have anything new,” Taylor said Wednesday. “Occasionally, we’ll have somebody who thinks they have some knowledge of it, but nothing’s panned out so far. This $5,000 (reward) might help.” 

Anderson County Sheriff’s Capt. Tommy Barr is heading the investigation, with Sgt. Larry Warrick providing assistance, according to the sheriff. 

Authorities have said they were dispatched to Paris’ residence during the late afternoon hours of June 1, 2007 after a friend of the decedent reported coming to the man’s residence and discovering him laying on the floor in a puddle of blood. 

Around the time of the murder, Taylor told the Herald-Press that “the lifestyle of the deceased...tends to increase the possibility of a lot of suspects.” 

Anyone with possible information about the case should call Crimestoppers at (903) 729-TIPS (8477).

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Paul Stone may be contacted via e-mail at pstone@palestineherald.com