Several media outlets have reported that five officers from the Hanceville Police Department and one officer’s spouse have been arrested following an investigation into the death of a department dispatcher. The arrests were announced by the Cullman County District Attorney’s Office and the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office during a press conference on Wednesday.
WHNT News 19 shared a video of the conference.
Christopher Michael Willingham, 49, was found dead in his office at the Hanceville Police Department on August 23, 2024. Officials stated that he was last seen the day prior. His body was sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences in Huntsville for an autopsy, which determined that he died from the combined toxic effects of fentanyl, gabapentin, diazepam, amphetamine, carisoprodol, and methocarbamol.
A Cullman County Grand Jury indicted the following individuals in connection with the case:
Cody Alan Kelso
- Accused of accessing and sharing vehicle tag information from a Cullman County murder investigation.
- Charges:
- Computer Tampering (2 counts)
- Solicitation to Commit a Controlled Substance Crime
- Use of Office for Personal Gain
- Tampering with Physical Evidence
- Bond: $15,000
Jason Scott Wilbanks
- Accused of using his work-issued phone to purchase controlled substances and receiving anabolic steroid injections while on duty.
- Charges:
- Computer Tampering (2 counts)
- Use of Office for Personal Gain (2 counts)
- Tampering with Physical Evidence
- Solicitation to Commit a Controlled Substance Crime (2 counts)
- Bond: $66,000
Jason Shane Marlin (Hanceville Police Chief)
- Accused of failing to report ethics violations committed by other officers after being notified by the State Bureau of Investigation.
- Charges:
- Failure to Report Ethics Crime (2 counts)
- Tampering with Physical Evidence
- Bond: $30,000
William Andrew Shelnutt
- Accused of mishandling or removing evidence from the Hanceville Police Department evidence room.
- Charge:
- Tampering with Physical Evidence
Eric Michael Kelso
- Accused of distributing controlled substances, including Adderall, Hydrocodone, and Anabolic Steroids, to officers.
- Charges:
- Unlawful Distribution of a Controlled Substance (4 counts)
- Conspiracy to Unlawfully Distribute a Controlled Substance (2 counts)
- Bond: $30,000
Donna Reid Kelso
- Charged in connection with the unlawful distribution of controlled substances alongside her husband, Eric Kelso.
Authorities confirmed that access to the police department’s evidence room was improperly secured, allowing unauthorized individuals to enter. Law enforcement officials stated that this access was a key factor in their investigation.
All six individuals have been released on bond. The case remains under investigation by the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office and the Cullman County District Attorney’s Office.
