Beech Tree News Network

Helen L. Rone 

 

A guilty plea was entered by two women in Butler Circuit Court earlier this week in the 2016 deaths of Cory Hampton and Britany Tomes, whose bodies were found on Region-Reedyville Road in a burning vehicle.  

 

Kayla Danielle Ford, 29, of Edmonton and Helen L. Rone, 24, of Roundhill pleaded guilty hindering apprehension or prosecution (first degree) and tampering with physical evidence.  Both accepted plea agreements that will likely result in probation rather than 10-year sentences. 

 

The case was prosecuted by Butler County Commonwealth’s Attorney Blake Chambers, who was seeking to prove the two women were assisting Charles “Cotton” Lindsey elude authorities.  Lindsey is charged with two counts of murder, first degree arson and tampering with physical evidence. He is facing the death penalty. 

 

Butler County Commonwealth’s Attorney Blake Chambers set out to prove that Rone and Ford helped Charles “Cotton” Lindsey avoid capture by police after he reportedly admitted killing Hampton, 28, and Tomes, 17.

 

Lindsey is charged with two counts of murder and one count each of first-degree arson and tampering with physical evidence.

 

Chambers is seeking the death penalty for Lindsey, whose trial is scheduled for January 7, 2020.  

 

Ford and Rone will face final sentencing on July 31.