Robert Lenoir is tentatively set to face trial on murder and other charges on Nov. 29 in Magnolia.
Lenoir, who practiced as an attorney in McComb until his arrest on charges stemming from the discovery of Wendy Dansby’s body at his home on March 30, 2021, was arraigned on seven felony counts at the Pike County Courthouse on Monday.
Lenoir’s attorneys filed a waiver of arraignment, but Judge Forrest “Al” Johnson Jr. of Natchez, appointed to hear the case due to the recusal of the 14th Circuit’s judges, proceeded with pleadings in the matter because of the seriousness of the murder charge, which he noted was allegedly committed in conjunction with “an act of aggressive domestic violence.”
Hattiesburg attorney Tom Fortner, speaking for his client, entered pleas of not guilty to all seven counts of the indictment, which also include evidence and witness tampering, child abuse, child endangerment and drug possession.
Johnson said he had set bail of $200,000 in the case, “which I think is reasonable, given all of the considerations.” Lenoir and his attorneys posted the standard 10% bond, or $20,000, for his release prior to the arraignment.
Part of the conditions of bail initially was that Lenoir would remain in Mississippi or seek permission from the court to travel.
But Fortner noted that Lenoir had already moved from McComb to Winnsboro, La., where another of his attorneys, Ronnie Whittington of McComb, said during indictment proceedings in Hattiesburg last month that Lenoir had been accepted into a drug treatment facility.
Johnson revised his bail orders to confine Lenoir to Mississippi and Louisiana unless permission is otherwise granted.
Prosecutor Rebecca Denham, an assistant district attorney in Forrest County’s 12th Circuit office, asked the court to consider a no-contact order with a 3-year-old child who is the alleged victim of the child abuse and child endangerment charges Lenoir faces.
“The child and the mother have moved to Winnsboro with my client,” Fortner said. “That matter was decided by youth court or chancery court.”
Johnson said he would issue an order prohibiting contact unless another adult is present, but Denham asked the judge to reconsider, saying the child abuse and child endangerment charges had not been filed until after Child Protective Services had closed its case.
She also noted that the mother, Reagon Zufelt, is the subject of the witness tampering charge.
“This (situation) causes the state concern,” Denham said.
Johnson said prosecutors could bring up the matter again before trial if additional concerns are raised. In light of the charges filed since CPS closed its case, “I hope someone is looking into the matter. Louisiana has its own process ... the court won’t consider that at this time.”
The judge added that the court can require Lenoir to return to residing in Mississippi.
Fortner objected to the livestreaming of the arraignment proceedings by Tom Garmon of the Hattiesburg Patriot, saying wrong information was being publicly transmitted.
He and Lenoir said that an assertion by Denham that Lenoir had married Zufelt is false.
“The Supreme Court said (cameras in courtrooms) are all right, but this false information is being streamed out,” Fortner said.
“I have no license or absence of a license. It is what it is,” Johnson said. “I understand ... that something apparently happened in another court. That’s not my circus. Cameras are allowed under the rules as long as they do not disrupt the court’s proceedings.”
Johnson ordered the parties to submit pretrial motions for mental evaluation or change of venue by Aug. 19, all other motions by Sept. 30, and evidentiary discovery by Sept. 2.
The pretrial motions will be heard Oct. 18 at 10 a.m.
