April 12, 2022
By: Dwayne Page
15-year-old Alex Lemons made his first appearance in DeKalb County Juvenile Court Monday.
The teen is charged in a juvenile petition with committing the delinquent act of first-degree murder and aggravated arson in the death of his father, 43-year-old Edward Lemons. The elder Lemons died in a fire at his home on December 7 at 5056 Jacobs Pillar Road, Smithville which his son is accused of setting.
The outcome of the hearing Monday has not been disclosed.
As is typical in juvenile court cases, the Lemons hearing was closed to the public, but in this case, Judge Bratten Cook, II also issued a gag order, upon an oral motion by attorneys, to prohibit all parties from making public statements, comments, or remarks respecting pending litigation in this case and that further proceedings in this matter be private and not open to the public and that all records held by the clerk not be made public.
After he was placed in custody at the Sheriff’s Department Thursday evening, the boy was taken to the Cookeville detention center pending the Monday hearing.