The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
Hanceville Police Department trucks
Statement from the City of Hanceville on the recent arrest of the police chief and officers
February 19, 2025 – HANCEVILLE, AL a grand jury has found five Hanceville police officers, including the police chief and a wife of one of the officers, culpable in a wide-ranging set of indictments that include leaving the evidence room so insecure that a police dispatcher died from a drug overdose from narcotics that should have been locked up in the evidence room. The situation is so dire the future of the town's police department appears to be in doubt.
Dispatcher Christopher Michael Willingham, age 49, was found dead on August 23, 2024. The state medical examiner's autopsy report determined that the cause of death was the "combined toxic effects of fentanyl, gabapentin, diazepam, amphetamine, carisoprodol and methocarbamol."
Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker said that Willingham "like a lot of other people" had access to the evidence room. The grand jury found that Willingham's death was likely due to a drug overdose from narcotics that the Hanceville PD had taken off the streets.
Crocker said that the grand jury further found that Willingham's death was "the direct result of the Hanceville Police Department's negligence, lack of procedure, general incompetence and disregard for human life."
Hanceville Police Chief Jason Shane Marlin was charged with failure to report an ethics crime and tampering with physical evidence.
Officers Cody Alan Kelso was charged with computer tampering, tampering with physical evidence, conspiracy to commit a controlled substance, and for using his position for personal gain.
Officer Jason Scott Wilbanks was charged with the same crimes as Officer Alan Kelso.
Officer William Andrew Shelnutt was charged with tampering with physical evidence.
Reserve Officer Eric Michael Kelso was charged with unlawful distribution of a controlled substance and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
His wife Donna Reid Kelso was also charged with that the same crimes.
The drugs that the couple were distributing were not from the evidence room and were given to the other defendants in this case.
Crocker said that the state of the evidence room was so bad that all the evidence there was effectively "useless" in prosecutions.
An audit of the evidence room has been ordered.
The defendants surrendered on Wednesday and have since made bond, Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry said.
"There's nothing more important to us in law enforcement than good, honest law enforcement. When we have those that do wrong, it hurts us all," Gentry said during Wednesday's briefing. The sentiment was clear: the integrity of law enforcement is paramount, and breaches of trust within the force are deeply damaging.
Among nearly a dozen points raised by the grand jury, it found that the department is a "particular and ongoing threat to public safety," has a "rampant culture of corruption" and has "recently operated as more of a criminal enterprise than a law enforcement agency," Crocker said.
The grand jury recommended that the Hanceville Police Department "be immediately abolished" and that another law enforcement agency be tasked with protecting the citizens of Hanceville, which has a population of around 3,000.
Gentry said the sheriff's office has not received a formal request to take over the Hanceville area in Cullman County, "but we are making preparations." The sheriff's office's proactive approach indicates readiness to step in if needed to ensure the safety and wellbeing of Hanceville's residents.
"We will do whatever is necessary to protect our citizens in Hanceville," Sheriff Gentry said,
Hanceville Mayor Jim Sawyer said that he and the City Council are fully cooperating with the investigation.
"The Council will carefully consider all recommendations and act swiftly and decisively to address the problems within the Police Department," Sawyer said in a statement on Wednesday. "Our citizens, industries, and businesses deserve a resolution, and we will pursue and implement the necessary corrective actions openly and aggressively. We deeply regret the negative impact this situation has had on our community."
The grand jury's findings have sparked a deep sense of urgency among local leaders to address systemic issues within the Hanceville Police Department. The proposed abolition of the department and the consideration of alternative law enforcement arrangements reflect a drastic but necessary step towards ensuring public safety.
The scandal has drawn statewide and even national attention to the small town of 3,000 people. The City Council is considering abolishing the department.
Sheriff Gentry said that his office stands ready to fill the void, ensuring that the citizens of Hanceville are protected and that any transition of law enforcement responsibilities is as seamless as possible.
The coming weeks will be crucial in determining the outcome for the Hanceville Police Department and the overall safety and welfare of the Hanceville community. Local leaders, law enforcement, and citizens alike are all vested in finding a resolution that upholds the principles of justice and public trust.
An indictment is merely the finding that it is likely that a crime has occurred. Chief Marlin and the other defendants are presumed to be innocent until found otherwise by a jury of their peers.
(Brandon Moseley contributed to this report.)
This report is based on original reporting by ABC33/40 News.
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