Joshua McLaughlin - Limestone County Sheriff Malicious, abuse of power, arrogant, self-centered man would not return property, tried to have me committed, 2nd arrest FALSE Athens Alabama

To Sheriff Joshua McLaughlin,

 Noticed your Investigator's post on Linkedin.com that states: “Professional law enforcement officer currently assigned to the Criminal Investigation Division of the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office. I investigate many different types of crimes to include homicides, robberies, burglaries, and financial white collar crimes.”

What happened with all of the complaints I have filed with the department since 2015? I have recently petitioned the Court for an Order of Protection against 16580 and 16396 Hampton Lane. By the way, I filed three (3) complaints with the Alabama Department of Insurance since 2021. I spoke with one of their investigators. They sided with my insurance company because they required Police Reports documenting the Trespassing, Vandalism, Destruction of Property, Murder of Animals, Attempted Murder of a Disabled Senior Citizen.

A petition for protection from abuse typically includes the following key components:

The following statement describes the 9.9-year brutal abuse and assault on my home, my animals, regrading of my land, and physical torture that began on 08/03/2015:

Details of Abuse:

On 08/03/2015, Neighborhood Committee members for the Ronnie Edwards residence at 16565 Hampton Lane and members of the Blake Golden residence at 16580 Hampton Lane committed acts of trespass for express purpose of applying illegal surveillance devices onto the windows and doors of my home.

On 08/18/2015, police report was filed regarding crimes of trespass, vandalism, destruction of property, puppy poisoned to death, chickens killed, drones terrorizing my rooster, bologna sprayed with malathion thrown into my fenced-in dog yard, holes dug into my yard along my pathway to care for my chickens, etc.

On 09/21/2015, police report was filed regarding crimes of trespass, vandalism, destruction of property, puppy poisoned to death, chickens killed, drones terrorizing my rooster, bologna sprayed with malathion thrown into my fenced-in dog yard, holes dug into my yard along my pathway to care for my chickens, etc.

In 10/02/2015, Committee members constructed an elaborate hot-wire system utilizing the security light’s electrical cabling from Royce and Gretta Schrimsher residence at 16480 Hampton Lane. This hot-wire system was attached to the metal frame of my home and was used to electrify my entire house and surrounding grounds. When the hot-wired system was damaged on 11/25/2015, someone arranged to pay an electrician to repair the hot-wire system.

On 10/24/2015, police report was filed regarding crimes of trespass, vandalism, destruction of property, puppy poisoned to death, chickens killed, drones terrorizing my rooster, bologna sprayed with malathion thrown into my fenced-in dog yard, holes dug into my yard along my pathway to care for my chickens, etc.

On 06/16/2016 the FAA passed a new drone law banning all flight unless the drone was registered with their office. That is when the neighborhood terrorist cell stopped flying their drones over my property to harass and terrorize the rooster. Someone from the FAA had contacted me regarding their ability to access my video footage and had me post the video on Facebook to access it through his home computer.

On 12/15/2016, police report was filed regarding crimes of trespass, vandalism, destruction of property, puppy poisoned to death, chickens killed, drones terrorizing my rooster, bologna sprayed with malathion thrown into my fenced-in dog yard, holes dug into my yard along my pathway to care for my chickens, etc.

Sheriff personnel became agitated, made numerous derogatory remarks chastising me regarding my numerous complaints, and refused to supply anymore police reports after the 12/15/2016 complaint. They did supply an animal trap and picked up a dog or two. The dog owner became hostile due to the cost of shelter fee and/or fines. Animal Control became so agitated with my frequent calls they refused to bring out a trap.

On 02/12/2017, Southern Pride had to reroof the house due to vandalism damages. Multiple calls to the Sheriff’s department prior to this resulted no police reports but always critical telling me they would not climb up on my roof to check the damages or that I was imagining things.

On 05/18/2018 HVAC technician reported that some of the heating/cooling duct was flattened on the supply line and that someone attempted to redirect my air to a secondary duct but it was too short to work.

On 10/02/2018 AFS Foundation & Waterproofing photographs of my crawlspace depict the vandalism damages of dug-up foundation, removal of frame, and other signs of people camping out.

On 11/26/2018 HVAC technician reported a foreign wire attached to the HVAC control board.

On 12/04/2018 HVAC system lost freeon but the technician could not find a leak in the line.

On 06/26/2019 Someone attempted to close off the air to the HVAC unit.

On 02/19/2021 Someone drained the HVAC system of 8-pounds of freeon.

On 04/27/2021 The Sheriff came to my home with some paperwork. I told them that I was still drinking coffee and was not dressed yet, just leave the paperwork at the door. About 6-deputies broke into my back door and laid their hands on me. Two deputies took one of my arms and began to twist my arms. There was no warrant, just a Writ for Body from the Probate Court. I was transported and guarded until the time of the afternoon hearing. I was transported to Athens Hospital where tests were done without my consent. I was not released until 05/06/2021.

On 05/09/2021 I was being terrorized by someone who said his name was Brian Jones and he worked at the District Attorney’s office. I did not believe him the DA would be involved with the criminal activity. So, I checked the DA’s website. There in living color was this fair-haired man that looked to be in his 30’s, light brown or dishwater blond hair, approximately 5’ 8” tall, and appeared to be gaining some weight around the belt. His behavior was so nasty and I quickly began to despise his laugh. I picked up my dogs and left my home for a few hours. When I got back, he was still there.

On 09/14/2021 Someone drained the HVAC system of 9.2 pounds of freeon.

On 11/18/2021, after the Sheriff Captain of Investigations repeatedly refused to return my telephone calls regarding his investigation into the trespass, vandalism, property destruction, and torture devices on my home and property, I filed a complaint with the Alabama Ethics Commission. Lance Royals’ father resided at 16516 Hampton Lane. Lance Royals was called to my property by child-hood acquaintances. The Captain conducted interviews with some of the criminals and vandals of my property. Lance Royals obtained signed confessions around March 2016 but did not proceed with arrest and prosecution.

On 12/12/2021 a man quietly walked up my disability ramp. He did not knock on my front door. When he left, he walked past my bedroom window with a large caliber handgun in his right hand. Was having a conversation with Jason Black at the time. Mr. Black expressed concern for my safety and told me he was going to go talk to the Sheriff and the District Attorney.

On 04/05/2022 repeatedly complained to the Sheriff’s department about the men at 16580 Hampton Lane firing a 9mm handgun.

On 05/10/2022 made multiple complaints about the men at 16580 Hampton Lane running some type of dangerous instrument aimed at my home that was causing me severe physical distress, causing bruising to my feet and ankles.

On 05/30/2022 I started calling the phone number for Juan Antonio, Kassa Hernandez, or Gustave Chicas at 16580 Hampton Lane regarding the dangerous instrument they had hidden in a travel trailer and parked directly on the property line. The travel trailer appeared to be angled and directed at my house. It was causing me physical distress.

On 06/12/2022, I emailed Sheriff McLaughlin regarding a life-threatening power source causing me physical injuries. My feet and lower legs had become extremely bruised and the injury had caused a debility. I was no longer able to perform my own grocery shopping and had to pay someone else to assist me.

On 08/23/2022 HVAC technician reported the HVAC wiring shorted out and wedged between the I-beam and a metal floor stud. Repetitive calls to the Sheriff’s department resulted in combative behavior and/or insults.

On 08/27/2022, a Spectrum technician was working on my service and was attacked by a dog residing at 16580 Hampton Lane but Animal Control refused to confiscate the dog. The deputy pulled out his mace and service weapon, stood between the dog and the Spectrum technician, told the technician that he had his back so he could complete the service call. When the Spectrum left my property, so did the deputy. When the deputy declined to remove the vicious dog, I asked him about my safety. His reply was, “I don’t know what to tell you. I can bring out a trap in the morning.” The deputy along with a man from 16516 Hampton Lane did secure the dog to its lead at 16580 Hampton Lane prior to vacating the premises.

On 08/28/2022 Sheriff deputy responded to my complaint about the dangerous instrument causing me physical trauma. The deputy told me that no one was running any machine that was hurting me, there must be something wrong with me. He threatened to call DHR on me if I did not stop the erroneous complaints about a dangerous instrument.

On 09/22/2022 Spanish men repeatedly called my home phone number to harass me, there was no legitimate reason for the calls.

On 09/23/2022 I yelled at the men at 16580 Hampton Lane to shut off the torture device. While still standing at my back door, one of the men yelled out, “No! We are running it so that we can kill you. Are you dying yet?”

On 10/16/2022 I made repeated calls about the men at 16580 Hampton Lane shooting a 9mm handgun towards the tree line and Clements High School.

On 01/01/2023, the men at 16580 Hampton Lane trespassed to my South bedroom to shoot their 9mm handgun towards my chicken barn. The next day I saw that a bullet went through my barn just above the access door that leads to the exterior pen.

On 01/16/2023 I reported vandalism damages to my North front bedroom. The Sheriff deputy tried to tell me that the damages were due to the age of this 9-year-old house. His remarks written on the police report stated that I told him someone attempted to use a screwdriver to break into my house but he could not see any tooling marks. That was the first time the deputies started to build a Mental Illness history against me.

On 01/18/2023 I reported damages to the home’s retaining wall. Someone started removing the bricks. Twice, the Sheriff’s department called my home to ask if there was actually damage to my home. The third time the Sheriff’s department asked me to put my gun in a locked cabinet so the deputy could come speak with me. Nothing had changed since 01/16/2023. I was insulted but complied with their request.

On 01/20/2023 I called the Sheriff’s office to find out who was assigned to my January vandalism reports and discovered the reports had been administratively closed.

On 02/05/2023 a Sherif deputy came to my home on a report of gunfire directly on my property. The deputy grabbed a man from 16580 Hampton Lane, asked him to come to my porch, and I was told to let him know that he was not welcomed on my property. This deputy parked his vehicle across the street from my house. When he walked back to his vehicle he was assaulted by the vicious dog at 16580 Hampton Lane. I heard the deputy fire at least 5-warning shots from his service weapon. The next day, that vicious dog was still running at large.

On 02/07/2025 I called the Sheriff’s department to ask how I could file a missing person’s report on the two men who were living at 16580 Hampton Lane. The man that I talked to on 02/05/2023 was not Fidel Rodriguez or Aldana Munoz. The deputy started to debate the missing person’s report. Suddenly, other deputies drove up to my house. They asked me if I was reporting a crime. When I told them that I was, they commanded the other deputy to leave immediately.

On 02/27/2023 while still reporting incidents regarding the vicious dog at 16580 Hampton Lane, Animal Control asked me if the dog was a Pit Bull. It appeared that they did not intend to do anything about the dog running at large. When I mentioned that this dog killed one of my chickens, the dog was removed from that house. I never saw it again.

On 04/30/2023 I made another report of reckless gunfire. The deputies have told me that it was ok for people to shoot their gun on their own property. When I said this was right next to a school zone, I was told that it was ok so long as they shot in a safe direction.

On 05/06/2023 I reported gunfire directly on my property and near my house. I have no record of any conversation with a deputy for that day.

On 05/14/2023 while I was mowing my South property, the men at 16580 Hampton Lane let one of their dogs off lead and it came charging onto my property. The dog attempted to attack me while I tried to get away from it.

On 05/15/2023 while mowing the North part of my property, I stopped to see what was on my driveway in that area. I recovered a 9mm Luger shell casing, but the Sheriff’s department was not interested. When they did show interest, I put the shell casing in the mail to the FBI Field Office at Birmingham. I did not trust the Sheriff anymore.

On 07/29/2023 Called the Sheriff’s office to speak to Captain Caleb Durden regarding my reports of harassment from the men at 16580 Hampton Lane. Captain Durden took my report on 07/07/2023 but failed to pick up a package of documentation from me that day. I was told that Captain Durden was on vacation for 1-week.

On 07/31/2023 Captain Caleb Durden returned my phone message. He told me that there was nothing he could do for me because I had no proof of the trespassing, vandalism, and destruction of property that I had been complaining about.

On 08/08/2023 I called the Sheriff’s office to speak with Sheriff McLaughlin. I left a few messages after that. The Sheriff never did return any of my phone messages after this day.

On 10/25/2023 I was at my back door, far North side of the house, and heard what I believed to me Committee members, vandals, and terrorists talking to one another on the high school’s side of the joint tree line. I yelled and cursed at them to get out of here. When I heard someone call out that they were allowed to be there. It was then that I issued a cautionary statement about the reckless gunowners next door. I told whoever was there that they usually shot towards that tree line. I told them them that they frequently fired their gun from my property and they were in danger if the men decided to come out and shoot their gun.

On 10/27/2025 the Sheriff sent about 3-deputies with a SWAT team to my house. They were equipped with a sniper with his rifle, battering ram, and riot shield.

On 11/15/2023 the criminal case against me was dismissed and I thanked God for my release. They Sheriff did not release me. I was transported to the Limestone County Probate Courtroom for another Involuntary Commitment Probable Cause hearing.

On 12/14/2023, went to the Sheriff department with a Property Voucher intending to retrieve my property that was confiscated on 10/27/2023. Sheriff McLaughlin refused to return my property and stated that he intended to re-arrest me for the same charges listed on the 11/15/2023 dismissed case.

On 12/21/2023 I received a telephone call for the FBI field office and spoke to Gregory D. Harry. He conducted an interview that lasted almost 45-minutes. Mr. Harry stayed in contact with me, mostly through emai.

On 12/23/2023, the Sheriff department informed me that if I called them to make a complaint, they would come to my home to arrest me because the Sheriff secured a second Warrant of Arrest for the same charge that they arrested me for on 10/27/2023. The case had been dismissed on 11/15/2023 and I did not understand how they could have obtained a second warrant.

On 12/31/2023, was no longer allowed to file a complaint with the Sheriff regarding the residents of 16580 Hampton Lane trespassing onto my property to shoot their gun near to my bedroom window. Was told that I would be arrested if I reported a complaint.

On 01/01/2024, was no longer allowed to file a complaint with the Sheriff regarding the residents of 16580 Hampton Lane trespassing onto my property to shoot their gun near to my bedroom window. Was told that I would be arrested if I reported a complaint.

On 02/07/2024 I received a letter from Phillips Law, LLC solicitating defense attorney services for the criminal charges that were filed against me. The letter referenced a District Court Case# 44-DC-2024-0156. The law clerk of that office had prepared the letter based on the Arrest Sheet printed from the Court’s Information System.

On 02/08/2024 I spoke directly with Sherry Phillips on the telephone. When Ms. Phillips had difficulty accessing the Court file on the Court’s database, she excused herself so that she could call the Court Clerk. When she called me back, she appeared a bit disconcerted. She repeated what the Court Clerk told her. That I was under Grand Jury indictment, the date of arrest was 01/26/2024, and the Court hearing was scheduled for 04/04/2024. Ms. Phillips did not understand why the Case# 44-DC-24-0156 was no longer in the Court database and assumed a glitch in the system was responsible. She also told me that the Court Clerk stated that “we’ want “her” to turn herself in. With the Court Case no longer accessible in the Court’s system, Ms. Phillips advised me not to turn myself in because there was no documentation to proceed with the DC-24-0156 case.

On 04/30/2024 I started clearing the vegetation away from my house and dog-yard. I stopped after having difficulties fully removing a tree near my gate on the South side of the house. This morning, vandals had removed some of the top siding and caused more damages to the home. The siding piece appeared to be literally yanked out of the trimming.

On 06/29/2024 trespassers and vandals displaced my debris piles to gain access to my property from the tree lines to the North, East, and South.

On 07/04/2024 the men at 16580 Hampton Lane kept lighting up the days and nights with their 9mm handgun and other pistols. This shooting spree continued through 07/13/2024.

On 07/22/2024 a Spectrum technician was working on my home’s service. when all 4-dogs from 16580 Hampton Lane charged across my North property and towards the technician he ran inside for safety.

On 08/11/2024 I noticed a Sheriff vehicle parked at 16516 Hampton Lane next door to me.

On 09/28/2024 trespassers and vandals dug a hole underneath my storage barn with a spade shovel. I also noticed fresh surveillance radio signals and amplifiers to increase the surrounding sounds of the traffic.

On 10/31/2024 trespassers and vandals were caught on camera footage using floodlights and their dogs to cause severe damage to my chicken enclosure.

On 11/02/2024 I stepped out front for my own purposes and someone deposited a bag of cat poop and urine clumps near my porch. The intruder also moved one of my cameras out of its position.

On 11/04/2024 someone attempted to remove one of my front cameras. Received a driveway alarm system that day and set out the sensors. Now, trespassers activate that alarm all day and at night also. I have also experienced a high volume of trespassing video footage on several cameras.

On 11/13/2024 finally caught some of the terrorists on camera with the dogs from 16580 Hampton Lane. Multiple letters with photographs ensued this event.

On 11/14/2024 the siding on the South side of my home was severely damaged.

On 11/15/2024 the Sheriff sent deputies to my home to arrest me. I told them that I was not going anywhere with them because the Statute of Limitations expired on the only criminal charge they levied against me.  The deputies told me they knew the misdemeanor charges had expired but that the Grand Jury found sufficient evidence to charge me with the felony charge of making a Terrorist Threat. They said the felony charge has a Statute of Limitations of 5-years. The deputy refused to place the document in the door, back away from my porch, and allow me to examine the document. They eventually left. Camera footage depicted an alarming image of bullet proof vests with mace and stun guns on their chest. I will not speak with them under those circumstances due to their reputation of abuse with the stun guns.

On 02/25/2025 I wrote a letter to Jason Smith at 16396 Hampton Lane to confront him with photographic images of a terrorist campaign to assault my property and asked him for an explanation. Naturally, I included the photographic evidence.

On 02/26/2025 I received the following message from Jason Smith: “Denise,please remove your trailer from this subdivision it’s bringing down our property value ,I am putting military grade cloaked men on our property to watch every single night and report to us what weird things you’re chickens are doing please have them stop Calk a  doodle doodles  it’s scaring my wife and she is going through some stressful nerves, please stop and refrain from chicken nuggets and cheese onions ,my military service members will s****.>

On 03/01/2025 I received the following message from Jason Smith: “I am hiring my military officers to spy your land I will put them just to the east of your property and infiltrate your home they will slowly take over your home and you will see them in the night,they will quickly move on you” On 03/01/2025 at 9:06pm you wrote: “Nobody cares please stop being rude your pictures are just trees and plants and weeds so please relax your just seeing stuff”

On 03/04/2025 I received the following message from Jason Smith: “Hello government I would like to say we are doing our best to eliminate this neighbor and dispose of the nonsense,help us fight this s****.>

On 04/08/2025 I filed a Bullying Complaint with the Superintendent of Education.

On 04/16/2025, emailed four (4) documents containing multiple photographs of the men from 16580 Hampton Lane, 16396 Hampton Lane, and multiple Committee terrorist members committing acts of stalking, voyeurism, indecent exposure, trespass, property damages, terrorizing and killing my chickens, and operating torture devices and/or tampering with the Clements High School ballfield electrical box or conduit at the utility poles located at the outer perimeter behind my property and 16516 Hampton Lane.

On 05/02/2025, Sheriff McLaughlin sent deputies to the Probate Courtroom with the 12/20/2023 recalled Warrant of Arrest that was closed out on Case# 44-DC-2024-0156.

On 05/14/2025, the Circuit Criminal Court mailed me a copy of an Order of Arraignment that did not specify the criminal offense I was charged with and did not appoint an attorney to represent me for the arraignment.