Serial Bank Robbery Suspect Faces Additional Charges
By: Jordan Vandenberge
Updated: January 18, 2013
Henderson police arrested 53-year-old James Morris Thursday in connection with the robbery at Green River Area Federal Credit Union. Detectives then connected him to 10 robberies total, some of which date back to 2006.
"It was a big sigh of relief," said Henderson Police Officer Jennifer Richmond. "We were just very very lucky that the bank had a new security system and they got a great shot of the vehicle just because of the camera's placement. For the first time since he has done these, we have a vehicle to look for."
The car led to a house on Gabe Street. Officers then met their man and his shocked neighbors.
"As the detectives were walking up, he excited the vehicle, they began a conversation," said Richmond. "One thing let to another and next thing you know we have 8 solved bank robberies."
Kentucky State Police later connected Morris to two more bank robberies. One occurred in August of 2006 at the Integra Bank Branch in Poole, KY. The other robbery occurred at the same bank in 2010.
Morris is alleged to have robbed the former Old National Bank Eastgate Branch in August 2006, U.S. Bank in 2006, 2007 and 2011. Morris also allegedly robbed Independence Bank and Bank of Henderson in 2012 and the Green River Area Federal Credit Union in 2012 and, most recently, Thursday afternoon. That's a total of 10 bank or credit union robberies since 2006.
Authorities say Morris doesn't fit the bill of a typical bank robber. It's not that he didn't have a steady job. In fact, records show he was a maintenance worker at Henderson Community College.
Investigators have answered the who. Now they need to figure out the why.
That may take a while.
"We're just going to have to work from the present to the past and work our way back," said Richmond. "We'll check financial records and talk to family members so right now it's just kind of grind."
It's a grind worth taking to solve a case six years in the making.
"The excitement is over and done with now we're down to the true footwork police work," said Richmond. "It's time to start chasing down every aspect of the crime."
Investigators are trying to see if Morris is connected to other bank robberies in the area. Morris is being held on a $100,000 cash bond.
"It was a big sigh of relief," said Henderson Police Officer Jennifer Richmond. "We were just very very lucky that the bank had a new security system and they got a great shot of the vehicle just because of the camera's placement. For the first time since he has done these, we have a vehicle to look for."
The car led to a house on Gabe Street. Officers then met their man and his shocked neighbors.
"As the detectives were walking up, he excited the vehicle, they began a conversation," said Richmond. "One thing let to another and next thing you know we have 8 solved bank robberies."
Kentucky State Police later connected Morris to two more bank robberies. One occurred in August of 2006 at the Integra Bank Branch in Poole, KY. The other robbery occurred at the same bank in 2010.
Morris is alleged to have robbed the former Old National Bank Eastgate Branch in August 2006, U.S. Bank in 2006, 2007 and 2011. Morris also allegedly robbed Independence Bank and Bank of Henderson in 2012 and the Green River Area Federal Credit Union in 2012 and, most recently, Thursday afternoon. That's a total of 10 bank or credit union robberies since 2006.
Authorities say Morris doesn't fit the bill of a typical bank robber. It's not that he didn't have a steady job. In fact, records show he was a maintenance worker at Henderson Community College.
Investigators have answered the who. Now they need to figure out the why.
That may take a while.
"We're just going to have to work from the present to the past and work our way back," said Richmond. "We'll check financial records and talk to family members so right now it's just kind of grind."
It's a grind worth taking to solve a case six years in the making.
"The excitement is over and done with now we're down to the true footwork police work," said Richmond. "It's time to start chasing down every aspect of the crime."
Investigators are trying to see if Morris is connected to other bank robberies in the area. Morris is being held on a $100,000 cash bond.
