BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

PILGRIM — A chilling disturbance along Meathouse Road in Pilgrim rattled the community before dawn Saturday morning. At around 4:30 a.m. an individual wearing a hood and wielding a 36-inch long “club” staggered up the steps and onto the porch of a 75-year-old resident’s home. The intruder was mumbling incoherently as they approached.

“Knock, knock, knock, I don’t care about nothing,” the female said, as captured by a Ring doorbell camera installed at the home. After attempting the locked door and briefly obscuring the camera with her hand, she peered again toward the interior before walking away, still muttering to herself.

The elderly homeowner, startled, alerted family members, who in turn contacted law enforcement. Family members shared photos and video footage on Facebook. The grainy images paired with the woman’s eerie monologue quickly sparked widespread alarm in the community.

With Martin County Sheriff John Kirk away attending his daughter’s medical school graduation, the call fell to District 5 Constable Mitchell Bowen, who responded and began searching the area.

Upon arrival in Pilgrim, Bowen located the suspect, 35-year-old Pamela Johnson of Russell Springs, walking along Meathouse Road just below the residence she had visited.

“A homeowner had her on security camera nosing around her house,” Bowen said in an interview with the Citizen.

Johnson reportedly told the officer that she recently spent 30 days at Addiction Recovery Care’s White Oak Hill, a residential treatment center in Inez.

“She said she had been staying with some people,” said Bowen. “And someone told her the house was empty.”

The constable confirmed that Johnson had a club-like object in her possession. He described it as a fiberglass handle of an ax or digging tool—modified with tape to serve as a makeshift grip.

“It would definitely hurt someone if you swung it,” said Bowen. “It’s quite heavy. It weighs 4 or 5 pounds and is solid fiberglass with a bunch of tape around it for a handle. It was meant to be used as a weapon. She said she was carrying it to protect herself from dogs in case one came after her. She was lucky she didn’t get shot carrying a stick onto someone’s porch. It could be considered a dangerous weapon.”

During the investigation Bowen found three active warrants for Johnson’s arrest in another county. He took her into custody on those warrants.

Johnson is in the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center.

‘No trespassing’

Bowen explained why he did not charge Johnson with trespassing. He also shared advice on how residents could help law enforcement and themselves by clearly marking their property.

“I wish people would post no trespassing signs,” he said. “The law says it’s second-degree criminal trespassing when a person enters or remains on property with a visible no-trespassing sign or after you tell them to leave. With signs, in a situation like this, there’s no question.”

‘I do what I can’

Bowen said he was glad to bring relief to the panic on Meathouse, even if the call did not come at an opportune time for him. He had hoped to spend the day working on a home improvement project.

“They called me out at 5 o’clock this morning and was out until 10 o’clock,” he explained. “My wife is out for the weekend and I was trying to surprise her with a little kitchen remodel. I didn’t start on it as early as I would like and didn’t finish it. She understands that I go out and try to help people. I’ve got a good woman who stands behind me and that makes things better.”

Bowen, a retiree, spoke of additional challenges of his position.

“Not a single constable in the state receives a dime for what they do,” he said. “I’m grateful for the cars the county gave us and what little bit they do help us. You know they give us a little bit for gas throughout the year, $600 a year for gas. That isn’t much. I go through that much gas in a month, and the rest of it is out of pocket. I’m retired, so it’s a struggle for me at times. But I was elected to help the public and I do what I can.”

As a man of faith, Bowen sees value in “witnessing” to those he encounters during his duties.

“If one thing I say gets through to them, it’s all worth it,” he said.