Jerome Flanigan, bottom left, has been charged with the September 2016 murder of Leslie Clements, right. Flanigan was taken into custody by the Cullman Police Department on Sunday night, top left. / Nick Griffin
LATEST UPDATE: 2nd person arrested for murder of Leslie Clements; Kayla Thursby picked up in Tuscaloosa- http://www.cullmantribune.com/articles/2018/03/06/update-2nd-person-arrested-murder-leslie-clements-kayla-thursby-picked
CULLMAN – A Cullman man was arrested Sunday night, charged with the September 2016 murder of 33-year-old Leslie Clements. Jerome Flanigan, 36, who has been a suspect in the case for some time, was charged with murder, first-degree theft of property and second-degree arson.
Clements’ body was found in an apartment in the 1000 block of Fuller Street, on the southwest side of the city of Cullman, on Friday, Sept. 16, 2016. Authorities declared the death suspicious, and the body was sent to Huntsville for autopsy.
That same day, Flanigan was identified as a person of interest by the Cullman Police Department.
In two bizarre twists to the case, on the day Clements’ body was found, the childhood home of Jerome Flanigan was set on fire in the town of Colony. The Cullman County Sheriff’s Office investigated the fire, which was on County Road 33.
The next day, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016, George Lamar Flanigan, then 38, the brother of Jerome Flanigan, was found with a gunshot wound to his abdomen. He was transported by ambulance to Cullman Regional, where he was treated and released. The CPD identified the shooter as Ronald McLaughlin. According to a statement from the CPD, McLaughlin was cooperative with the police and the shooting appeared to be self-defense. The Cullman County District Attorney's Office declined to press charges.
The investigation has been going strong since the murder, according to CPD Capt. of Investigation Becky Boyd.
“In January 2018 Investigator Max Bartlett was assigned to work this case and it was the only case he has worked on for the past two months. He did an excellent job. Last week he submitted his findings to the DA’s Office and on Friday warrants were issued,” said Boyd.
“I’m thankful for the work of all the investigators who have worked on this case," said Boyd. "We have spent a great deal of time on this case to get to this point. Hopefully this will bring some closure to the Clements family.”
This is a developing story. Check www.CullmanTribune.com for the very latest.
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