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2 Killings Investigated In Columbia County

Man Charged In Woman's Stabbing Death; Man's Slaying Under Investigation

POSTED: Tuesday, June 23, 2009
UPDATED: 11:12 am EDT June 24, 2009

Columbia County deputies found the body of an 76-year-old man inside a home on Tuesday. Only a few miles away, Lake City police investigated a homicide.

Columbia County Sheriff's Sgt. Ed Seifert said a strong odor coming from inside a home in the 1700 block of Northeast Washington Street caused them to believe a body was decomposing inside. They went inside and found the body of Tommy Lee Kellum.

Tommy Lee Kellum
Tommy Lee Kellum
According to family members, Kellum lived with his girlfriend. They said she is out of town and they were trying to locate her.

Deputies are waiting on an autopsy to determine the cause of death, but they consider the death suspicious and were expecting to release information about a suspect on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Lake City police were investigating the stabbing death of a woman on Dyson Street. Police said they found a 44-year-old Dannette Peterson Young dead in her bedroom early Tuesday morning.

Rodney Copeland
Columbia County Sheriff's Office booking photo of Rodney Copeland
Police said Rodney Avery Copeland, 40, stabbed Young during an altercation at her home, left her bleeding on the floor and went to his home, where he was arrested later in the day. Copeland was charged with murder and booked into the Columbia County Jail.

Investigators said they don't believe the two crimes are related.
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