By Kathryn Kennedy
The Daily Reflector
Monday, June 7, 2010
A request to reduce the bond for a man accused in his girlfriend death was withdrawn Monday after the court was notified of an attorney conflict.
Clinton Arthur Ridenour, 55, 538 Sweet Gum Grove Church Road, is charged in shooting death of Teressa Derr Foster, 51. Ridenour made the 911 call and law enforcement found her body burned in a debris pile in the backyard of their home Aug. 22. Pitt County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Ridenour March 23.
A motion was filed in May to reduce his bond to an unspecified amount. Greenville defense attorney R. Cherry Stokes was hired to conduct the bond hearing but said Monday a conflict would prevent him from representing Ridenour.
Stokes’ law partner was approached over the weekend with a petition to keep the defendant in jail. The partner at that time was informed she likely was related to Foster.
The law firm informed Ridenour’s mother of the conflict and refunded her money, Stokes said.
Jon Nuckolls currently is representing Ridenour.
Several friends and family members of the victim waited outside the courtroom until Assistant District Attorney Tonya Oliver Montanye notified them of the hearing’s cancellation around 11:30 a.m. She said Ridenour could request his bond be lowered at a later date, but a hearing not been rescheduled as of Monday morning.
His next court date is scheduled today as part of a bi-monthly status updates on murder cases.
James Richardson, accused of killing two men in a downtown Greenville shooting on June 30 also is scheduled to appear during the hearing.
Contact Kathryn Kennedy at kkennedy@reflector.com or (252) 329-9566.
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