A Norfork man who was initially charged with involvement in an argument with the residents of a Salesville home and shooting at the house appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court Monday on drug-related charges that were filed against him May 6.
NEW CASE
The new charges filed against 39-year-old James Addison Rorex, III, stemmed from a traffic stop in late April in which drugs and drug paraphernalia were found on his person and in his vehicle.
At the time of the recent drug-related arrest, Rorex was free on bond in the 2023 case stemming from the shooting incident.
Rorex entered a not guilty plea to his new charges on Monday.
INITIAL CASE
In early March 2023, the initial case was filed against Rorex. Charges included three counts of aggravated assault, unlawful discharge of a firearm from a vehicle and committing a terroristic act.
The charges stemmed from an incident that took place in late February 2023 in which Rorex is reported to have come to a residence along Mercedes Loop in Salesville and, when asked to leave, became agitated, verbally abusive and violent.
The incident was reported to have ended as Rorex drove away from the residence and allegedly fired shots at the house from his vehicle.
A female victim said Rorex had no connection with the family except that he did hang out with her adult son at one point. The woman said Rorex had been told several times that he was no longer welcome at the familys home.
After being told to leave and that the police would be called if he refused, Rorex was reported to have started yelling at the three people who were at the house – a 65-year-old woman, the womans niece and the nieces one-year-old son.
The trio had been sitting on the porch but went inside when Rorex began cursing them and calling them vulgar names.
The two women began watching Rorex through the window of the master bedroom that has a view of the entire driveway leading to the house. The nieces child was with them.
As Rorex got to the end of the driveway, the victims said they heard what one of them described as pop sounds. Both said they were unsure of the number of shots fired, but both agreed it was more than one.
The victims moved away from the window and sought cover. Rorex fled before Baxter County sheriffs deputies arrived.
When deputies checked the scene, they reported finding two holes in the outside of the house that were close to the window the victims were looking through as Rorex departed.
Inside the master bedroom, one of the bullets penetrated the wall and was located on the bed.
Deputies next went to Rorexs listed address. They did not find him but did locate a .40-caliber handgun lying on a walkway.
The front door to the house was open and the keys were in the lock. The vehicle he was reported to have been driving, a Nissan Armada, was found about 100 yards from the house.
Deputies reported the engine was still hot.
Rorex was arrested March 3 last year and has been free on a $50,000 bond.
The family told investigators the adult son now drives a truck and is away from home for days at a time and no longer hangs around with Rorex.
Despite the lapse in the friendship, the family reported Rorex continued to come to the house causing issues and that he frequently walked into the residence uninvited.
Rorex is represented by Melbourne attorney, Mathew Dellinger. Dellinger filed a motion to have Rorex examined psychologically to determine if he was fit to proceed in his case and had the ability to understand the criminality of his actions.
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