CULLMAN — Calling the Hanceville Police Department “more of a criminal enterprise than a law enforcement agency,” a Cullman County grand jury called for the HPD to be abolished.
The findings come as six people – including the police chief and four officers – were arrested in connection with last August’s death of dispatcher Chris Willingham.
Arrested were:
Police Chief Jason Shane Marlin
- Two counts of failure to report ethics crime
- Tampering with physical evidence
Cody Alan Kelso
- Two counts of computer tampering
- Solicitation to commit a controlled substance crime
- Use of office for personal gain
- Tampering with physical evidence
Jason Scott Willbanks
- Two counts of computer tampering
- Two counts of use of office for personal gain
- Tampering with physical evidence
- Two counts of solicitation to commit a controlled substance crime
William Andrew Shelnutt
- Tampering with physical evidence
Eric Michael Kelso
- Four counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance
- Two counts of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute a controlled substance
Donna Reid Kelso
- Two counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance
- Two counts of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute a controlled substance.
The charges are felonies except for tampering with physical evidence, which is a Class A misdemeanor.
The defendants surrendered 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,” Gentry said during Wednesday’s news conference. “When we have those that do wrong, it hurts us all.”
Willingham, 49, was found dead in his office Aug. 23. His death was ruled accidental from “combined toxic effects of fentanyl, gabapentin, diazepam, amphetamine, carisoprodol, and methocarbamol,” the grand jury said.
The panel also cited unfettered access to the evidence room played a role in Willingham’s death.
“The death of former Hanceville dispatcher Chris Willingham is the direct result of Hanceville Police Department’s negligence, lack of procedure, general incompetence, and disregard for human life,” the grand jury said. No officers have been charged in connection to Willingham’s death
Despite the arrests of the Hanceville police chief and officers, Gentry said residents will be protected.
“I’ve already spoken with the chairman, the county commission, we’ve already started negotiations with the leadership in Hanceville to see what it would look like, but we would take over all responsibilities from patrol in that area, investigation, dispatch and/or the jail,” he said.
“I can assure you, members of the sheriff’s office here in Cullman County, we have already met. I have spoken to members of Hanceville, the mayor and the council. We will do what is necessary to protect our citizens in Hanceville.”
Hanceville Mayor Jim Sawyer condemned the actions of the officers and said the city will pursue and implement the necessary corrective actions openly and aggressively.
“I assure you that we will continue to fully cooperate with all investigations and authorities,” he said in a post on Facebook. “We will uncover the truth and justice will be served.”
The grand jury found the evidence room was not secure and was routinely accessed by individuals who were not authorized to do so. Also, a broomstick was used to jimmy open the door by pushing it through a hole in the evidence room’s exterior wall.
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