Times-News Online
Two men have been arrested and police plan to bring in one more after a deadly home invasion this morning.
Oscar “Poochie” Corn was beaten to death with a chrome-colored pistol last night at his home at 2822 Howard Gap Road, according to his son, Billy Corn.
Arrested were Terry Lee Landrum, 16, of 870 Ida Rogers Drive, Hendersonville, and Steven R. Ramirez, 33, of 711 Woodco*ck Ave., near Lake Lure in Rutherford County. They were arrested at about 8 p.m. Friday.
Police are still seeking Mykel Waters, 17, of 92 G Cedar Bluff Apartments, Hendersonville.
All three are facing one count each of first-degree murder, second-degree burglary, first-degree burglary, assault with a deadly weapon and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill.
During their investigation, police learned that the suspects had broken into another residence on the property before invading Poochie Corn's home, said Capt. Charlie McDonald of the Henderson County Sheriff's Office.
This residence, a mobile home located at 2798 Howard Gap Road, is owned by the Corn family and rented to a Ronald Rudisill, who was not present at the time of the offense, McDonald said.
"Obviously we can not comment or speculate as to the motives or many other details of this case. We have maintained communications with the district attorney's office and are very comfortable with our case and the line of investigation thus far," he added. "Case integrity must be the overriding factor pertaining to dissemination of information."
Deputies responded to a report of a robbery and found three victims at a home at the home near Zeb Corn Road.
Billy’s mother, 58-year-old Joyce, a bookkeeper at West Henderson High School, was injured. She was taken to Pardee, treated and released, according to the Sheriff's Office. Their 12-year-old grandson, Coby, was hiding and not harmed during the ordeal.
Billy said his father was awake at the kitchen table last night reading his Bible around 1 a.m. waiting to go to work. Oscar worked the late shift as a security guard at the Ingles on Chimney Rock Road.
Three young men wearing hooded sweatshirts entered the kitchen and one was carrying a gun, according to Billy.
Billy said his mother was asleep in the bedroom when the perpetrators dragged Oscar into the room.
At that time, the 12-year-old Clear Creek Elementary School student was hiding in his bedroom behind the bed.
Held at gunpoint, the Corns led the hooded men through the house and their vehicle searching for valuables and money.
One man pistol-whipped Joyce in the back of the head, Billy said.
“The last thing my dad said was ‘Are you okay?’ to my mom,” Billy said.
She replied, “Yes.”
Following that, one man beat Oscar in the head with the pistol until he was dead and all three fled the scene. They made off with a little bit of jewelry and money, according to Billy.
Joyce called out to her grandson to dial 911 and police and family arrived shortly after that.
Police are still searching for the suspects, described as three black men.
Billy said the child is physically okay.
Oscar played college baseball and made his way into the minor leagues, according to West Henderson Coach Jim Hyatt.
Oscar was Hyatt’s first assistant coach at the high school from 1990 to 1997.
Hyatt has been coaching baseball for 19 years now and knew Oscar very well.
“He was a fantastic coach,” Hyatt said. “He didn’t have an ego, he loved coaching kids and had a terrific work ethic.”
His surviving wife also works at the school.
"Joyce has been a pillar of this school community for the last 20 years," Principal Dean Jones said.
The Corns' daughter, Jennifer, lives in a trailer on the property. Her son, Coby, was staying overnight last night at his grandparents' home, Billy Corn said. By 9 a.m. about 10 cars had pulled up at Billy Corn's two-story home next door to his parents' home. The Corns have another son, Jason, who lives in Asheville.
A neighbor, Phyllis Russell, said she did not think anyone would harm Oscar Corn "because he was too good of a fellow to have enemies."
The one-story home, which had an above-ground pool and bushes decorated with Easter eggs in the yard, was surrounded with crime-scene tape, as was a mobile home on the property. Sheriff's deputies and the SBI crime scene investigators were also at the house.
According to Sheriff Rick Davis, “This has been a terribly difficult day. Our hearts go out to the Corn family in their suffering and loss.
"I am so thankful to the men and women of law enforcement; the state agents, the HPD officers, and our officers and telecommunicators who worked so tirelessly and selflessly to bring this case to the point of arrests. I would also be remiss if I did not thank the many citizens who were so moved by compassion at the brutality of this event that they came forward with tips and information in an effort to support justice for this family. Community support played a significant part in solving this crime and I am very gratified by it.”
