KY:Set-up Invasion at Midnight in Kentucky

I have always thought that answering a door with a gun at hand was a reasonable precaution.  In this recent case in Kentucky, the homeowner was able to reach his firearm, but it was a close thing.

It was a set-up home invasion.   The decoy, Raven Edwards, above, contacted the homeowner, Bill Jolley, on social media and was invited over a bit after midnight.  It is unknown if they knew each other previously; but the addresses are all in Harrison County, KY, and there is only one high school in the County.

 After Raven arrived at the house and was admitted, she immediately left.  I suspect that some excuse was given, such as "I left my phone in the car".   From wkyt.com:

A police report says she told investigators she contacted Jolley "with knowledge that a robbery was going to occur shortly after her arrival at the residence." The report says she was "the set up person to the robbery."

When Raven went outside, the home invasion kicked off with her two confederates. All three entered the home, and her associates attacked the homeowner.   From wtvq.com:

According to KSP, Edwards had asked Jolley on social media if she could come to his home.

A short time after she arrived, troopers said she went outside and returned with two other men, Marcus Gross and Larry Nolen.

My question is: How did they expect to get away with the crime as long as Bill Jolley was alive?   Raven contacted him on social media, so there was a clear media trail to her.  How did they expect to deal with that?

Marcus Gross

Bill Jolley and all the actors in this incident are from Cynthiana, Ky.  It is a small town of 6,400 people.  Rick Grimes of The Walking Dead is Cynthiana's most famous fictional citizen.  Bill Jolley did not have a Colt Python like Rick Grimes.  But he did have a .45.  He managed to fight his way to the .45, and fire three shots.   At least one hit Marcus Gross, who had a long criminal history.   His father, Mark Gross, is quoted as saying the Markus was on the path to reform.  From wkyt.com:

Marcus Gross' father, Mark, spoke with WKYT Monday afternoon. He said his son had made mistakes in the past, but had begun to turn his life around after he got out of prison.

The home invaders fled the scene.  Marcus died.   The third home invader,  Larry Nolen, dropped Markus off at the hospital, then fled.  He is said to have turned himself in several hours later.

Larry Nolen

Bill Jolley said that a break-in was attempted at his home two weeks before the invasion.  That might have been taken as warning that he was being targeted.   We do not know if the attempted break-in and the home invasion were related.

Bill Jolley

Using a decoy to gain entrance for a home invasion is a fairly common practice.  A female is often used, as they are seen as less threatening, and more likely to have success.   Having a gun at hand, especially late at night, in a lonely setting, seems a reasonable precaution.  Jolley's home appears to be some distance from other dwellings.

This invasion could have turned out far differently for Billy Jolley, if he had not been able to reach his .45.

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