Published: February 16, 2009 08:05 pm            

Stabbing victim remembered

CHATSWORTH — Steven Lee Young was remembered as a good neighbor a few days after his violent death in a quiet Murray County neighborhood.

“He was a good guy, a real sweetheart,” said former neighbor Stephanie Tatum. “My parents lived next door (on Valley Road) and he was always helping them out with their yard work. He was always concerned about others.”

Murray County coroner Larry Ballew said Young, 44, died from “multiple stab wounds to the back.” He estimated the time of death as between 7:30 p.m. on Thursday and 6 p.m. on Friday. Young’s ex-wife, Rhonda Dilynn Sosebee, 44, of Wilding Lane in Dalton, is charged with murder and the sheriff’s office is looking for her.

Sosebee was charged with terroristic threats and had a probation violation warrant issued for her on Feb. 10. She is currently serving five years on probation for two counts of theft by deception and one count of theft by taking. She was arrested on those charges on Dec. 11.

“I didn’t even know he had gone through a divorce,” said Dan Sluder, who lives near Young’s small horse farm at 145 Valley Road. Sluder added that residents pretty much kept to themselves in the rural subdivision.

“I thought they had moved out,” he said, mentioning there was a “For Sale” sign in the yard at one time. “When I saw that, I thought, ‘I sure hate to see him leave,’ but I noticed he had started coming back in his pickup. I talked to him a few times and invited him to church when we were having a revival. He thanked me for the invitation.

“It’s just horrible, horrible — something you don’t ever think would happen right here near your front door. I sure will be glad when they find her.”

Tatum said she has moved away from the neighborhood, and last spoke with Young around Christmas.

“He told me there were problems (between Young and Sosebee),” she said.

A spokeswoman with the sheriff’s office said there were no new leads on Monday.

Sosebee is described as 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighing 160 pounds. She has brown hair and green eyes and is believed to be driving a white 2007 Ford Taurus, license plate AXI4564. Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff’s office at (706) 695-4592, extension 2.





        

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