Ooley gets out of jail
A woman accused of shooting two horseback riders on New Year’s Eve is free on a half-million dollar bond after her bond was cut in half last week.
The defendant, Pamela Ooley, 46, was released Friday from Warren County Jail on $500,000 bond after serving nearly four months behind bars following her arrest on charges of attempted murder and aggravated assault.
Her husband, Jeff Ooley, 43, has already entered pleas to reduced charges of facilitation of attempted murder for driving his wife to the scene and will be sentenced April 9 by Judge Stanley. He will likely face between three and six years in prison.
Mrs. Ooley’s bond was dropped from $1 million following a hearing before Circuit Court Judge Bart Stanley where her defense maintained she was not a flight risk given her local connections. General Sessions Judge Larry Ross had earlier refused to lower her bond, citing his concern she might pose a danger to society, ordering her to undergo a mental evaluation. Ooley has reportedly been found sane to stand trial.
While granted the lower bond, Judge Stanley ordered Mrs. Ooley stay with family and not leave the home except to visit her doctor. She is also not to possess any firearms.
The Ooleys were arrested New Year’s Day, hours after Mrs. Ooley allegedly shot Ashlie Edwards, 19, in the arm and Brent Newby, 27, in the stomach as they sat atop their horses while riding along Airport Lake Road late on the evening on New Year’s Eve.
Witnesses said Mrs. Ooley fired numerous shots from a rifle after she and her husband came upon the group of riders in their vehicle. The Ooleys came to the location after words were exchanged during a cellphone discussion with another one of the riders, but they were specifically looking for Newby when they arrived.
Newby maintains he was called a name by Mrs. Ooley, who he had never met, and that he said nothing to incite her. Lawmen say Mrs. Ooley was high on drugs when she was taken into custody hours after the shooting and claimed she had been threatened over the phone by one of the riders prompting the armed confrontation.