The District Attorney’s Office for the 12th Judicial Circuit announced convictions in three separate jury trials held in Pike and Coffee counties.
Officials said the cases highlight the work of prosecutors, support staff and local law enforcement agencies across the circuit.
In Pike County, Jody Griswold was convicted on multiple felony charges following a one-day trial on May 7 before Circuit Judge Jeff Kelley. Prosecutors said the case involved the theft of a side-by-side UTV, a Peterbilt big rig truck and a firearm in May 2025.
Investigators with the Troy Police Department and Pike County Sheriff’s Office also recovered evidence connected to a marijuana grow operation during a search warrant conducted by the Pike County Sheriff’s Special Response Team.
Griswold was convicted of Theft of Property First Degree, Theft of Property Second Degree, Certain Persons Forbidden to Possess a Firearm, Receiving Stolen Property First Degree, Manufacturing a Controlled Substance Second Degree and Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
In Coffee County, Norris Jones was convicted Monday on a charge of discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle.
According to prosecutors, Jones fired multiple rounds at a victim’s vehicle on White Street in Enterprise on Jan. 9, 2022. The victim, who was inside the vehicle at the time, identified Jones as the shooter. The investigation was handled by the Enterprise Police Department.
In another Pike County case, Devonta Cottrell was convicted on two counts of Retail Theft Second Degree after failing to appear for trial Monday.
Prosecutors said Cottrell stole merchandise from Walmart in Troy on two occasions in June 2025. Surveillance footage reportedly showed thefts totaling more than $1,300 combined. Authorities also said Cottrell had previously been trespassed from Walmart in 2017.
District Attorney James Tarbox praised the juries and the work of prosecutors following the verdicts.
“Our office appreciates the juries in each of these cases and the verdicts that they returned. In each of these cases, the defendants have prior felony convictions and decided to break the law again. It is time for them to be held accountable at their sentencing hearings,” Tarbox said.
Tarbox also thanked the attorneys and support staff inside the District Attorney’s Office.
“I am thankful for the team here at the District Attorney’s Office. Each of our attorneys has appeared in court ready to have jury trials these past few weeks, and the results in these trials are indicative of the hard work of not only our attorneys but also our superb support staff,” Tarbox said.
The District Attorney’s Office also thanked the Troy Police Department, Pike County Sheriff’s Office and Enterprise Police Department for their work on the investigations.
