Suspect in 2001 Murder Case Now in Department of Corrections

The suspect charged in Miller County in connection to a cold case murder in July, 2001, is now serving time in the department of corrections. Online records indicate that 52-year-old Tabatha Mae Carter, who also went by the names Tabatha Luttrell and Tabatha Rumfelt, was booked into the women’s correctional center, in Vandalia, earlier this month on active offenses which include theft, stealing of any firearm, forgery, stealing a motor vehicle and six felony counts of passing a bad check. Carter was taken into custody from the State of Oklahoma after more than 18 years of being identified as a person of interest in the July, 2001, shooting death of Jerry Jeffries at a bar in Brumley. While being held on a probation violation in Morgan County, Carter was formally charged in Miller County with accessory to first-degree murder and accessory to armed criminal action in the Jeffries murder. The probable cause statement indicates Carter admitted to being involved in the incident with another person who is now dead. A writ was filed by Miller County to be able to get Carter back for her case review hearing which is set for March 4th.