UPDATE-To all the people who might read this post over the next few days and weeks, I strongly suggest you read the following update post-Questionable Timing In The Southworth Murder Arrest
I don't know any names of details yet, but Lexington Police have just announced they have made an arrest in the murder of Umi Southworth, the mother of teen singer Almira Fawn, and will be holding a press conference in roughly thirty minutes, or about twelve midnight. Southworth was murdered the 16th of June of last year. She was beaten to death and died of blunt force trauma to the head. Some might recall that I covered the case not too long after it happened last year.
My goal in covering the story was to guard against the rush to judgement against Umi's husband by many in the Lexington press. I conjectured it might have been the work of of the underworld denizens or similarly unsavory characters known to frequent the music business in which Almira and Uni were both steeped in.
I never mentioned it, but Umi was an Indonesian immigrant, though I never heard whether she was a religious Muslim, though I doubt it. There is a sizable Islamic community in the Lexington area, and some mosques, so I have also wondered about the potential there.
I guess I'll find out soon. Whatever happened, I just hope the family, especially Almira and her younger sister, can find closure and even maybe some degree of comfort in the apprehension of their mother's killer, assuming they have indeed got the guilty party-or parties.
UPDATE: Looks like I was wrong, they arrested the father. But they are playing games about the whole thing. First the Lexington Police Department announced there would be a midnight press conference pertaining to the arrest in the Umi Southworth murder. Then around twelve thirty AM they said the case was under seal and they couldn't release any information at that time. They did confirm that Donald Southworth had been arrested for murder, but they couldn't say whose murder he had been arrested in connection with. All very strange. Of course he was arrested for the murder of Umi (they had already announced the arrest was in connection with her case) so its a lot of bureaucratic and legal "i" dotting and "t" crossing going on, I guess.
