Leon County man confesses to eleven burglaries

Leon County residents Donald Cole and Michael Winstead were arrested in Lott, Falls County, Monday, November 30 as they were leaving a home they had just burglarized.

According to Falls County authorities stolen weapons, safes, computers and jewelry boxes were recovered from the pair’s vehicle.

Leon County Sheriff Jerry Wakefield said “We had been watching these guys for two or three months because an officer had stopped them for another offence and noticed a police scanner. These guys were not volunteer firemen and we figured it might be a way of keeping up with police activity.”

Sheriff Wakefield said both men were in possession of illegal narcotics when they were arrested and once in jail one of the men wanted to talk.

“We don’t know if it was a guilty conscience or if he was hoping for a lighter sentence but he gave us a lot of information,” explained Wakefield.

The man confessed to 11 home burglaries, seven in Leon County, three in Robertson County and one in Navarro County. Investigators think the men may also be connected to others in Limestone County.

The confession led the police to the Centerville home of Cole and his girlfriend Heather Kannard. She is currently in the Leon County jail charged with burglary of a habitation in Limestone County.

Stolen items were found inside Kannard’s house. A search warrant uncovered multiple stolen guns, ammunition and drugs.

Cole and Winsted are in jail in Falls County with burglary of a habitation charges from Leon County and more expected from surrounding counties.