Four Hanceville police officers, Police Chief Jason Marlin and one of the officer’s spouses have received more than two dozen grand jury indictments for their involvement in what jurors described as a “criminal enterprise” and an “ongoing threat to public safety.”

Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry and District Attorney Champ Crocker held a joint press conference Wednesday, Feb. 19, to discuss the indictments, which include tampering with physical evidence.

Crocker said his office was currently working through ongoing cases that involved evidence held by HPD, but “did not feel confident about prosecuting cases where evidence had been tampered with.”

Officers Cody Alan Kelso, Jason Scott Wilbanks, William Andrew Shelnutt and Marlin were all charged with tampering with physical evidence.

The revelations come after an investigation by the Alabama State Bureau of Investigations after the death of Hanceville city police dispatcher Christopher Willingham who was found dead at his desk from an apparent drug overdose Aug. 23, 2024.

Prior to Wednesday’s press conference, Kilpatrick Cullman County Coroner Jeremy Kilpatrick released the results of Willingham’s autopsy which stated he died from “combined toxic effects of fentanyl, gabapentin, diazepam, amphetamine, carisoprodol and methocarbamol.”

Crocker said the investigation revealed a missing cinderblock on the exterior wall of the HPD evidence room granting unfettered access to unauthorized personnel. Crocker declined to discuss any details of Willingham’s death, but a statement shared by the grand jury said it believed it was “the direct result of HPD’s negligence, lack of procedure, general incompetence, and disregard for human life.”

Marlin was also charged with two counts of failing to report ethics crimes which, according to court records, involved Cody Kelso, Jason Wilbanks, officer Eric Kelso and Donna Kelso.

According to the indictments, Wilbanks and Cody Kelso solicited anabolic steroids from Eric Kelso on a number of occasions in 2024. Eric Kelso then used his patrol vehicle to travel to a hospital where he illegally obtained the steroid shots from Donna Kelso.

Eric Kelso is also charged with distributing Hydrocodone to Wilbanks and Stephen Wilhite. Wilhite was arrested and charged with receiving stolen property connected to vehicle theft operation in September 2024. 

Court records also showed that Wilbanks and Cody Kelso illegally accessed Spillman records management database (a secure records system used by law enforcement) for their personal gain. 

Cody Kelso allegedly accessed police records relating to an ongoing murder investigation into Randall Hogan on Oct. 21, 2024. Hogan was charged with the murder of a missing person, Jeffery Wilhite, in Oct. 2023. Kelso is also charged with using the Law Enforcement Tactical System to look up an unnamed individual’s vehicle license information which was then provided to Eric Kelso.

Wilbanks allegedly accessed the Spillman database Sept. 16, 2024, to gather information on a Jane Doe and again on Oct. 9 to gather information on a John Doe. Wilbanks’ indictment said he then provided the information to two unnamed co-conspirators.

Because of what it described as a “rampant culture of corruption,” the grand jury recommended the HPD be immediately disbanded and have an outside agency tasked with policing the city of Hanceville.

Gentry said there has not been a formal recommendation from the Hanceville City Council to have the CCSO step in, but that he has had preliminary discussions with the Cullman County Commission and Hanceville Mayor Jimmy Sawyer. Attempts to reach Sawyer by phone on Wednesday were not successful.

In a prepared statement released by the city of Hanceville on Wednesday, Sawyer said, 

“The City of Hanceville is committed to providing its citizens with the best possible community. Our City Council, Public Works Department, Fire Department, Parks and Recreation Department, City Hall, and all other divisions work diligently to create a city we can all be proud of. Unfortunately, the Hanceville Police Department has fallen short in its mission to serve the people.

“As mayor, alongside the City Council, I assure you that we will continue to fully cooperate with all investigations and authorities. The people of Hanceville deserve full transparency regarding the extent of these issues. The Council will carefully consider all recommendations and act swiftly and decisively to address the problems within the Police Department. 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 and the hard-working employees of our city.”