Sylva men charged in connection with Rule murder remain in jail

By Carey Phillips

Buckley

Duls

Jared Marshall Buckley, 24, was being held at the Jackson County Jail. Joshua Moore Duls, 18, was in custody at the Swain County Jail.

The two were indited last week by the Jackson County Grand Jury on two counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder, and one count each of conspiracy to commit first-degree arson and first-degree arson.

Charges stem from an incident that occurred around 2 a.m. Jan. 18 when someone allegedly tried to set fire to the Drury Lane residence of 49-year-old Lynn Rule. The indictments list the intended victims of the murder as Rule and Nancy Creech, who was living with Rule at the time. She moved out shortly after that incident.

Just over two weeks later, on Feb. 5, Rule was found stabbed to death in her home. As of Herald press time, no charges had been filed in relation to the murder.

Duls and Buckley are next door neighbors on Allen Street and live a short distance from Rule's residence.

In separate 96-hour hearings last week, Superior Court Judge James Downs denied motions on behalf of Duls and Buckley to have their bonds reduced.

He did grant requests by the pair to receive court-appointed attorneys. Reid Brown of Waynesville was named to represent Buckley. Raymond Large of Sylva was appointed to represent Duls.

While he denied the requests for bond reduction, Downs set the following conditions if either defendant does make bond:

- The co-defendants are to have no contact with each other except for the purpose of planning their defense with attorneys for both parties present;

- They will have no contact with Creech;

- They will reside with their parents and not be away from their residences between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m.;

- They are not to use or possess any controlled substance and are to submit to blood, breath and urine tests upon request of law enforcement;

- They are to have daily contact with the Jackson County Sheriff's Department during daylight hours.

As reported last week, Assistant District Attorney Monica Leslie alleged that Duls had been purchasing powder cocaine from Rule, who cut off his drug supply because he owed her money.

In Last Thursday's hearing for Buckley, Brown argued for a bond reduction, saying his client had cooperated with law enforcement officers and had not fled although he knew he was a suspect in the case. Buckley had allowed his house to be searched and had agreed to provide hair and blood samples, his attorney said.

"If he was going to run or be a flight risk, he would have done that," Brown said. In her request that bond not be lowered, Leslie said Buckley was involved with Duls in attempting to set the 2 a.m. fire and in the drug dealing. She also said Creech was "scared for her life" at the possibility that either Duls or Buckley might be released from jail.

Back to Archive: 03/15/01.