Police: Men caught in the act while burglarizing home, linked to another burglary case

A tip about a burglary in progress led Whitley County Sheriff’s deputies to arrest two local residents Saturday afternoon, one of whom was already wanted in connection with a separate burglary case.

Sawyers responded to a residence on Bethel Road, which is in the far Western portion of Whitley County near Highway 904.

When they arrived at the scene, Mays and Sawyers strategically approached the residence.

When Wilkie Murray spotted them he allegedly tried to run out of the back of the residence with deputies chasing after him, according to his arrest citation.

He eventually stopped and complied with police orders.

After Murray was taken into custody, he advised police that a second man, Anthony S. Morgan, was inside the residence in the attic, according to Morgan’s arrest citation.

Deputies advised Morgan to come out of the attic numerous times.

Finally, Kentucky State Police Trooper Josh Cox climbed into the attic where he found Morgan hiding, Sawyers wrote on an arrest citation.

"Morgan still refused to follow orders and had to be removed from the attic by deputies," Sawyers wrote.

Mays discovered "a lot of copper wiring that had been cut from an electrical box and a lot of copper wiring cut throughout the residence," he wrote on Murray’s arrest citation.

Mays also found a set of bolt cutters lying in the basement floor.

Sawyers discovered two bags loaded with copper inside the residence.

Mays arrested Murray, 28, at 4:09 p.m. and charged him with second-degree burglary, first-degree fleeing or evading police, menacing and first-degree criminal mischief.

About 5:17 p.m., Sawyers charged Morgan, 31, with second-degree burglary, resisting arrest and menacing.

Both were lodged in the Whitley County Detention Center.

Mays also served Murray with an arrest warrant charging him with second-degree burglary in connection with an Aug. 22 burglary that also took place in the Highway 904 area, according to the sheriff’s department release.

Mays recovered two televisions from an area pawnshop that had allegedly been pawned by Murray and taken during the burglary, the release stated.

Murray was also taken in on warrants for failure to appear, receiving stolen property under $10,000, theft of mail matter and harassment.

Both Murray and Morgan pled not guilty during their arraignments Monday in Whitley District Court.
Judge Cathy Prewitt scheduled Nov. 3 preliminary hearings in their cases and appointed the public advocate’s office to represent each defendant.

She set a $15,000 cash bond for Morgan and ordered that he wear an ankle-monitoring device if he is released on bond.
Prewitt set a $7,500 cash bond in each of Murray’s four cases and ordered that he wear an ankle-monitoring device if he is released from custody.

Mays’ investigation into both burglaries is continuing.

KSP Trooper Donnie Foley also assisted the sheriff’s department with the investigation.