Sheriff Dept Press release re: Murphys Man Shot During Dispute

(Arnold, CA) On 10/14/12 at approx. 7:40 am Calaveras sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a residence on the 1800 block of Rawhide Road in Arnold for a report of a man who had been shot. The investigation revealed that on the above date at approx. 7:00 am the suspect, Robert Terry (36) of Arnold, became involved in a verbal dispute with the victim, Jimmy Terry (25) of Murphys. Jimmy Terry is the nephew of Robert. Jimmy was also a wanted parolee at large and had an active CDCR felony warrant for his arrest. During the dispute Suspect Robert shot Victim Jimmy in the abdomen with a single shot from a shotgun while outside the residence. Suspect Robert reportedly told Victim Jimmy to leave the property, at which time Jimmy charged Suspect Robert and threatened to kill him. Suspect Robert, in response to Jimmy running at him shot him once. Victim Jimmy then fled the scene in his black 4-door Audi, which was driven by his girlfriend, Crystal Towle (24) of Murphys. It was reported that Victim Jimmy fled the scene because of his arrest warrant.


As sheriff’s deputies and Angels Camp Police Officers were en route to the scene, an Angels Camp Police Officer observed Victim Jimmy’s vehicle pass him in the opposite direction heading westbound on Highway 4. The officer turned and pursued the vehicle, but lost sight of it near Highway 4 and Parrot’s Ferry Road. Anonymous tips eventually led the officers and deputies to a residence on the 1900 block of Sugar Pine Drive in Douglas Flat, where Victim Jimmy’s vehicle was parked. While at the Sugar Pine residence the deputies located Suspect Towle hiding in the area. She was placed under arrest, but refused to provide a statement concerning the events surrounding this incident. After arresting Suspect Towle the deputies received information that Victim Jimmy was hiding in the crawlspace under a nearby residence. The deputies, along with a K9 officer from Angels Camp Police searched and located Jimmy hiding in the crawlspace. He received medical care at the scene, but refused to provide the deputies with a statement. Victim Jimmy was transported to a Modesto area hospital for a gunshot wound to his abdomen.

The initial dispute between Suspect Robert and Victim Jimmy reportedly began a week earlier and continued until the morning of this incident, and was purportedly over Suspect Robert “ratting out” Jimmy over thefts that he was allegedly involved with in the Arnold/Murphys areas. Suspect Robert felt that he needed to have a means to protect himself from Jimmy due to threats of bodily injury from Jimmy. As part of his plan to protect himself, Suspect Robert cut open and emptied the pellets from a shotgun shell, then refilled it with rock salt. He allegedly used the rock salt-filled shotgun shell to shoot Victim Jimmy.

Crystal Towle was booked into the Calaveras County Jail on the charge of Vehicle Code 2800.2: Evading (felony)

Robert Terry was booked into the Calaveras County Jail on the charge of Penal Code 245 (a) (2): Assau