Update:Perret Murder/Tongue Case

Alabama Mobile County Sheriffs Office News 5 has exclusive new details in the Stephen Perret murder case and the man investigators believe killed him.

by Tiffany Craig

Published: Thu, August 07, 2008 - 7:20 pm CST Last Updated: Thu, August 07, 2008 - 7:36 pm CST

Murder, Deception, Embezzlement.
All the elements of a box-office thriller wrapped up in a real-life mystery in Citronelle.

The crime sent shockwaves through the north Mobile County city last August. Almost a year later, there is still no one charged with murder.

Nikki Perret is pleading for answers in her husband's murder case. "We need to find out. My kids want to know. They want to know why this has been done to their dad."

The murder of Stephen Perret on August 17, 2007 and the events that followed have filled up case files in the Mobile County Sheriff's Office. Detective Chris McLean says it's one of the biggest files on record in their department.

McLean says the investigators know who killed Perret. So, News 5's Tiffany Craig asked, "If you guys are so sure that he's your man, why can't he be charged yet? McLean responds, "Well being sure and getting your evidence together to take it to trial are two separate things."

The man authorities believe killed Perret is his boss and neighbor Mike Crocker. Both men worked at Vulcan Industrial Services in Mount Vernon. Crocker was a part-owner and Perret was his plant manager. The two men went to breakfast on the morning of the murder at the Iron Skillet on Highway 45. A waitress who knew both men later told investigators that Crocker was acting strange. "Her quote was... it looked like he had seen a ghost."

Perret's wife says her husband went back home to change out vehicles that morning and borrowed Crocker's truck. As he was leaving their street at 10:05am, he was shot. "Mr. Perret was stopped on the side of the roadway. His vehicle was in drive and his foot was on the gas and on the brake." McLean believes that Perret had stopped on the opposite side of the road for something and that's where he was shot and killed.

Perret's family tells us that the shotgun from the crime was never recovered.

Days later, the Crocker's attended Perret's funeral in Louisiana. Nikki Perret remembers her interaction with Crocker. 'You know, I hugged Mike. He was blaming himself. He was saying O'Neal's ordeal was meant for him. Because he was driving his truck? Yeah."

The couple went back to Citronelle after the funeral. Then, a 9-1-1 call came in from the Crocker's house. "His wife actually calls and advises that he had been attacked by a couple of subjects in his backyard." According to investigators, Crocker claimed someone cut out his tongue. "The more and more that we started digging deeper into the investigation, we come to realize that what Mike Crocker had told us about cutting his tongue out was false."

Investigators also claim that Crocker stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Mount Vernon Company he part owns. Witnesses interviewed by investigators says that Perret knew about the missing money. Crocker was arrested and charged with theft and false reporting... but never murder.

When he was arrested in October, the damage to his tongue made it sound like two fingers were holding his tongue as he spoke. Tiffany asked him if he had anything to say to the Perret family. His response was short and to the point. "What would you like to say to the Perret family? He said, "They know good and well I didn't do this."

Crocker's lawyer believes investigators just need to pin the murder on someone. Skip Brutkiewicz said "they are trying to do whatever they can either by threat of coercion or locking somebody up in jail without a bond in order to try to solve the case. They can't do it."

The prosecution decided to drop the false reporting charge. The theft charge is still headed to the Grand Jury.

The Perret's live in Loranger, Louisiana but plan to travel to Citronelle next weekend for the 1-year memorial.

On Saturday August 16th, the Perret's will go door-to-door with flyers detailing the case.

The following day, they'll have a memorial service at 2pm on Dogwood Drive to remember Stephen O'Neal Perret.

News 5 spoke to Mike Crocker by phone. He maintains his innocence and even told us that he offered reward money to help find the killer.

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justice Says:

Sun, Dec 07, 2008 at 12:52 pm

so this is called the Perfect Murder?

justice Says:

Mon, Aug 18, 2008 at 10:30 am

mississippi,

why did you change your name to mustuknow? got something to hide? you must be really close friends to the crocker’s cause you sure do know a lot about their business. why else would you change you name?

justice Says:

Sun, Aug 17, 2008 at 5:13 pm

cm,

do they know who the killer is. how do you know he was not there?

Citronellemomma Says:

Sun, Aug 17, 2008 at 4:13 pm

Went to the memorial, and it was difficult to be there. I kept onlooking around me, trying to see a killer and was told he wasn’t there…..
Mr. Perret, your poem had me in tears.
I hope the thruth comes out real soon for your sake.
God bless you all.

RIP O’Neal

justice Says:

Sat, Aug 16, 2008 at 12:35 pm

well,

i know the attorney nor partner was not there. so i have been told this is not a criminal case. should be civil case. think the detectives had the charges filed not the partner.

sitnlisten Says:

Sat, Aug 16, 2008 at 8:16 am

yes- I realize that the owner was a noshow- but his attorney were not and they were not setting behind mike crocker- they were on he otherside. So, if the business partner knew about the missing money, then why were the charges ever placed to being with!! And if the money had been missing for months - why did it not come up until all of this with the oneal come up. It seems to me that the two occurances have a lot to do with each other…

justice Says:

Fri, Aug 15, 2008 at 6:58 pm

If I am not mistaken he was not in court when the theft charges were brought before the judge. He was a no show.

sitnlisten Says:

Fri, Aug 15, 2008 at 5:35 pm

Again- If the missing money was not an issue- than why was vulcan industries attorney on the OTHER side of Crocker? This question I am sure will remain unanwered, just as the question i posed earlier remains.

justice Says:

Fri, Aug 15, 2008 at 8:00 am

sitnlisten, yes it was property theft. he should have had a $750.00 bond instead had to pay $100,00.00. the charge was property theft. again, the money is not and was not the issue. why would o’neal have been killed over money that is not missing and both crocker and his partner were aware of that was in a business account in the name of the company. i agree this is getting very childish and people are just grasping at something to talk about. let’s give both sides a rest this weekend for their sake while they search for real answers and killers and remember o’neal for the fine father, husband, and son he was.

sitnlisten Says:

Thu, Aug 14, 2008 at 10:16 pm

mississippi 3 - i guess i owe you an apology- i did not mean to strike a nerve and put you off the blog….I have not accused the crocker, but my question still remains- if two hundred thousand dollars had never been taken from Vulcan Industries would Oneal Perret be alive today. Go back and replay the press release video from when crocker appeared in court. The reporter says that crocker was arrested for theft in excess of two hundred thousand dollars from Vulcan Industrial Services, not property theft. And by the way- I know exactly what went on in court that day. For now- I will be sittin and listenin

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