Tim Chitwood is from Seale, Ala., and started as a police beat reporter with the Ledger-Enquirer in 1982. He since has covered Columbus’ serial killings and other homicides, following some from the scene of the crime to trial verdicts and ensuing appeals. He also has been a Ledger-Enquirer humor columnist since 1987. He’s a graduate of Auburn University, and started out working for the weekly Phenix Citizen in Phenix City, Ala.
On July 16, a dispute sparked a standoff between Columbus police officers and county deputies at the Muscogee County Jail. But the city police department and county sheriff’s office disagreed over crime suppression details long before that.