A Bird in the Hand …

Equals Two in Jail

By Will Johnson

Messenger Reporter

HOUSTON COUNTY – In the Nov. 18 edition of The Messenger, itwas reported 32-year-old Jimmy Lindon Bird, from Lovelady, was taken intocustody on Nov. 11 and charged with burglary of a habitation, stemming from an incident on Nov. 1.

Corey Terrell McGuire, 29, from Lovelady was taken into custody on Nov. 27 and charged with burglary of a habitation and tampering with evidence related to the Nov. 1 incident.  

Several firearms were taken from the residence including: a 410 single-shot shotgun; a Remington Model 870 shotgun; a Savage Model 67 shotgun; and a Remington 7 mm Magnum rifle.

The owner of the residence informed the Houston County Sheriff’s Office Deputy William Gardner he had left for work at approximately 7:30 a.m. on Nov. 1 and when he returned home at noon for lunch he “… discovered someone had entered his residence through the backdoor that was unlocked and had taken four firearms from his gun cabinet,” an affidavit of probable cause reported. 

As Gardner began his investigation, he spoke with a witness who informed the deputy a brown in color, four-door sedan with a busted rear windshield was observed backing out of the yard of the residence which had been burglarized.

The owner of the vehicle, Corey Terrell McGuire, was located and identified. According to the report, McGuire told law enforcement officials he had loaned his car to Jimmy Bird shortly before the burglary occurred.

McGuire also stated he had been walking the streets of Lovelady when Bird failed to return his car in an attempt to locate it. The affidavit further indicated McGuire stopped at the Valero gas station in Lovelady and asked an acquaintance for a ride home.

Video surveillance footage was pulled from several area business which corroborated McGuire’s story. Gardner also spoke with the acquaintance who provided further confirmation of his alibi. The acquaintance added when he took the vehicle owner home, the brown sedan was back at his residence. He also indicated he never saw Bird.

On Nov. 6, McGuire contacted Gardner “… advising him that Jimmy Bird had arrived at his house and while there, told him that he had used his car to burglarize the residence. Jimmy told McGuire that he never intended for anybody to see his car. McGuire also stated Jimmy never told him what he did with the stolen firearms.”

Warrants were issued for Bird’s arrest and on Nov. 11, he was booked into custody on one count of burglary of a habitation, a second degree felony.

The story continued on Nov. 14, when a formal interview was conducted with McGuire.

“McGuire admitted to deputies that he and Jimmy Bird had been riding in his car on Nov. 1 and discussed burglarizing (the E. Houston St. in Lovelady) residence because Jimmy had learned from a friend that the home contained firearms,” the affidavit stated.

McGuire explained Bird had used his car to burglarize the residence, while he walked around the town. Bird then returned the vehicle to McGuire’s residence where he hid the stolen firearms.

The stolen weaponry was then moved to 4977 Georgia Camp Road “… where they hid the firearms under a shed behind a church.”

During his first interview, McGuire took deputies to the shed, according to the affidavit, only to discover they were no longer there.

“Corey claimed that Jimmy Bird must have moved the firearms without his knowledge,” the legal document stated.

A second interview was conducted with McGuire on Nov. 20 and during the course of questioning, McGuire “… admitted to removing the guns and selling them t known criminals.”

On Nov. 27, McGuire was taken into custody and charged with burglary of a habitation (second degree felony) and tampering with evidence (third degree felony).   

According to Section 12.33 of the Texas Penal Code, “An individual adjudged guilty of a felony of the second degree shall be punished by imprisonment in the institutional division for any term of not more than 20 years or less than two years. In addition to imprisonment, an individual adjudged guilty of a felony of the second degree may be punished by a fine not to exceed $10,000.”

A third degree felony carries a range of punishment from two to 10 years and a $10,000 fine.

McGuire is being held at the Houston County Jail on bonds totaling $30,000.

Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].