May 24, 2013
News
Baseball Bat Attack Suspect Appears In Magistrate Court
Cristen Drummond
A man accused of murdering his neighbor with a baseball bat makes his first appearance in court on Monday.
John Conover, 49, walked into magistrate court to face one count of murder. He's accused of hitting 46- year-old Alterese Carter in the head with a baseball bat after an argument with her kids escalated on Mercer Street last Friday.
However, eyewitness Roslyn Williams said it was Carter and her family that attacked Conover first.
"I stood there and watched them go at it with the bat, one of the boys throw the bat at John and she was there swinging."
A police report states two totally differing sides of one story. Conover reportedly was attacked by Carter, her two sons and husband with baseball bats. Conover stated he was hit in the head and twice on his body. Carter tried her swing at Conover but missed. Conover grabbed the bat from Carter and began to swing it around in self-defense but didn’t know who he was hitting. The family left the scene in their truck immediately after Carter was hit and fell to the ground. The family transported her to the Medical Center of Central Georgia where she died on Saturday.
Williams said Conover went to a house and called 911.
Meanwhile at the Medical Center, Carter’s family told investigators the altercation started when Conover pushed one of Carter's sons. They further stated Carter then ran outside her house in response to Conover who allegedly put her in a headlock and punched her. The two boys then reportedly got baseball bats, swung at Conover who got a hold of one of the bats and hit Carter so hard part of the bat broke.
A Macon Police Department incident report states Carter was in critical condition after being hit in the head with a baseball bat but Williams said that is not true.
"I was close and I know that he didn't hit her in the head,” Williams said. “He hit her below her waist and she fell."
WGXA visited the Carter’s home but no one answered the door.
Neighbors said the boys involved in the altercation with Conover have long been trouble makers.
"They always do things in the neighborhood that they really shouldn't be doing,” Brandi Rowland said.
"Her kids would start stuff with anybody like kids, grown-ups," Conover’s girlfriend Alicia Wilson said.
The police report states Conover said the altercation started about a phone charger. However, Carter's husband said it was about a ladder.
Conover waived his right to a commitment hearing and bond has been denied. According to the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, this is the eighth time Conover has been incarcerated since 2004.
An autopsy Monday was performed on Carter's body.
