Alleged attempted kidnapper who reportedly shot rural postal worker to appear in federal court Thursday
Roland Mitchell Dampeer, 28, will appear in federal court Thursday to face charges of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence in the Thursday afternoon shooting of rural postal carrier Sherry Ingold as she delivered mail on her route along Highway 35 in Hesterville.
Susan Bradley, public information officer for the United States Attorney’s office, said prosecutors Paul Robert and Kim Hampton will present the case against Dampeer during the detention and preliminary hearing Thursday.
The suspect is also accused of attempting to kidnap Andrea Goss of Carmack from inside the Sunflower supermarket on Highway 12, a short while before shooting Ingold. Bradley told The Star-Herald she did not yet know which law enforcement agency would bring charges against Dampeer in this aspect of the case.
According to US Postal Investigator Tony Robinson, Dampeer, who reportedly has ties to South Mississippi, is also being investigated in relation to an incident in Greenwood the night before the Attala County incidents.
The chain of events
Around 9 a.m., the morning of January 16, a Greenwood woman took to social media to recount a frightening incident that had happened in her home overnight. She said her son had come into her bedroom to tell her of a strange man in the living room shining a flashlight in the boy’s face.
The woman’s boyfriend went to see what was going on, and the man reportedly said something had sent him to their home but that he was at the wrong house. The suspect allegedly then exited the house and the woman’s boyfriend followed the suspect’s vehicle to get a photograph of the license plate.. They reported the incident to law enforcement, realizing only later that the suspect who had entered their home was probably the same individual in the Attala County incidents later in the day.
When contacted by The Star-Herald Sunday, Robinson said law enforcement was made aware of the allegation and was investigating the potential connection between the Greenwood and Attala County incidents.
Around lunchtime last Thursday, investigators say Dampeer attempted to kidnap Andrea Goss from inside a busy Sunflower supermarket. Goss was able to get away from the suspect, but he reportedly remained outside the store until she exited and followed her as she drove up Highway 35.
Investigators are not discussing how the suspect disengaged from his chase of Goss to eventually shoot Ingold as she delivered mail at the home of Pearlean Cummins on Highway 35 in Hesterville.
Injuries sustained
Goss did not sustain serious physical injuries, however, Sherry Ingold, who grew up in Hesterville and now resides in Lexington, was shot in the head and airlifted to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. According to information released by her family, Ingold underwent surgery to relieve pressure from her brain and is in a medically-induced coma to foster healing. Doctors are currently slowly reducing the medications keeping her in that state and monitoring her vitals along the way.
