What the record shows
HANCEVILLE, Ala. – The city government and police department of Hanceville made national news recently, following the arrest of over half the small police force in mid-February. The police department, though, has for three years faced a federal lawsuit over the conduct of its officers, and the plaintiff in that case recently updated his complaint by entering the current controversy as evidence. Additionally, the City was targeted in a lawsuit filed by the former police department evidence custodian following the death of a Hanceville dispatcher in his office at the combined police headquarters/Hanceville City Hall complex.
As the Hanceville city government prepares to face the community in a public meeting this evening, Thursday, Feb. 27, at city hall, The Tribune attempts here to lay out the related stories as best the facts can be ascertained from the available evidence.
2024 death of dispatcher leads to state investigation
Hanceville Police Department dispatcher Christopher Michael Willingham was found dead in his office at HPD headquarters on Aug. 23, 2024. According to a 2025 report by Cullman County Coroner Jeremy Kilpatrick, Willingham died from “combined toxic effects of fentanyl, gabapentin, diazepam, amphetamine, carisoprodol and methocarbamol.”
Willingham’s death led the State Bureau of Investigation to look into the HPD. The death was declared accidental and no one has been charged, but a 2025 grand jury would find that conditions at the HPD led to the death.
Former HPD assistant chief and custodian of evidence files suit following dispatcher’s death
Lowell Adam Hadder, the former assistant chief and custodian of evidence for the HPD, filed a lawsuit against the City, Mayor Jim Sawyer and City Clerk Tania Wilcox on Aug. 27, 2024, four days after Willingham’s death.
According to court documents:
“On or about the 8th day of April, 2024. He was requested to join a meeting with the Mayor, Jimmy Sawyer, Josh Howell, the old Police Chief, and City Clerk Tania Wilcox. During the meeting Tania Wilcox began telling Plaintiff certain things which were incorrect and when he tried to correct her, she yelled at him and he responded in kind. On the following day, Mayor Sawyer called Plaintiff back to his office and Tania was also present. Mayor Sawyer told Plaintiff that he needed to resign. The Mayor gave no reason and when Plaintiff requested any reason for why he needed to resign the only reason that was given was ‘tensions with Tania.’”
According to court records, Hadder claimed that he was eligible to retire on Sept. 1, 2024, and requested that he be allowed to use over 500 hours of accumulated vacation and sick leave that would have carried him beyond his retirement threshold to November 2024. Additionally, Hadder claimed that he informed Mayor Sawyer that, as Custodian of Evidence, he could not simply walk away from his desk, but was ordered off the premises anyway. Allegedly the sudden dismissal without a formal transfer of the contents of the evidence room to another appointed staff person “operated to damage any chain of custody for the evidence.”
Hadder’s suit claimed that he “was in effect terminated for no valid legal reason,” and sought reinstatement so he could use his accumulated leave to claim his retirement benefits.
2025 grand jury hands down indictments based on state investigation
Following the State Bureau of Investigation’s review, a Cullman County grand jury handed down a litany of charges against five HPD officers, including the chief, and one officer’s wife on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025:
(All charges are alleged)
Officer Cody Alan Kelso
- Two counts of computer tampering – accessing records of the case of Ronald Dewayne Hogan, charged in the 2023 murder of Jeffery Glenn Wilhite, and accessing vehicle records to provide vehicle tag information to Eric Michael Kelso
- Solicitation to commit a controlled substance crime – solicited anabolic steroids from Eric and Donna Kelso
- Use of office for personal gain – traveled to a local hospital while on duty to receive a steroid injection from Donna Kelso
- Tampering with physical evidence – removing or mishandling evidence from the HPD evidence room
Officer Jason Scott Wilbanks
- Two counts of computer tampering – accessing records to provide information about unnamed individuals to “co-conspirator #1” and “co-conspirator #2”
- Two counts of use of office for personal gain – using a department phone to solicit controlled substances, and traveling to a local hospital while on duty to receive an anabolic steroid injection from Donna Kelso
- Tampering with physical evidence – removing or mishandling evidence from the HPD evidence room
- Two counts of solicitation to commit a controlled substance crime – soliciting anabolic steroids from Eric and Donna Kelso, and soliciting Hydrocodone from Eric Kelso
Chief Jason Shane Marlin
- Two counts of failure to report ethics crime – failing to report Jason Wilbanks and Cody Kelso for ethics violations after being notified by the State Bureau of Investigation
- Tampering with physical evidence – removing or mishandling evidence from the HPD evidence room
Officer William Andrew Shelnutt
- Tampering with physical evidence – removing or mishandling evidence from the HPD evidence room
Officer Eric Michael Kelso
- Four counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance – delivering anabolic steroids to Jason Wilbanks and Cody Kelso, Adderall to a Steven Wilhite not otherwise named in this case, and Hydrocodone to Jason Wilbanks
- Two counts of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute a controlled substance – conspiring with wife Donna Kelso to deliver steroids to Jason Wilbanks and Cody Kelso
Donna Reid Kelso (spouse of Eric Kelso)
- Two counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance – delivering anabolic steroids to Jason Wilbanks and Cody Kelso
- Two counts of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute a controlled substance – conspiring with husband Eric Kelso to deliver steroids to Wilbanks and Cody Kelso
The grand jury also issued the following findings and recommendations:
- That any current or former officer of Hanceville Police Department indicted be suspended from law enforcement by the Alabama Peace Officers Standards & Training Commission.
- That the Hanceville Police department be immediately abolished.
- That another law enforcement agency, whether state or local, be tasked with protecting the citizens of Hanceville.
- Based upon the investigation by State Bureau of Investigation, we find that the Hanceville Police Department is a particular and ongoing threat to public safety.
- There is a rampant culture of corruption in the Hanceville PD which has recently operated as more of a criminal enterprise than a law enforcement agency.
- That the Hanceville PD has abused public trust by its failure of oversight, lack of leadership and negligent training and hiring.
- That the Hanceville police department has failed to account for, preserve and maintain evidence and in doing so has failed crime victims and the public at large. The evidence is unusable.
- This grand jury toured the Hanceville Jail on Feb 12, 2025. We have zero confidence in the Hanceville police department’s ability to maintain a jail or to meet basic health and safety needs of jail personnel or inmates.
- That 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 indictments and arrests were announced Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, at a press conference with Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker and Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry.
Crocker said during the press conference, “One of the most concerning things that we discovered in this process was that Hanceville Police Department’s evidence room was not secure. Criminal evidence must be secured in order to have that evidence for prosecution and to ensure due process. This evidence room was anything but secure.”
Statement from the City of Hanceville
Following the announcement of the arrests, Mayor Sawyer released this statement:
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.
The City of Hanceville employs many dedicated individuals across various departments who provide quality services to our citizens and Cullman County. It is unfortunate that the actions of a few have tarnished our city’s good name. Those entrusted with serving and protecting our community must be individuals of integrity and honor. While the vast majority of police officers and deputies are dedicated public servants, the misconduct of a few casts a shadow on the profession. Such individuals must be held accountable without delay. We will uncover the truth, and justice will be served.
I have spoken with District Attorney Crocker and informed him of our agreement that the evidence room should be audited by the appropriate authorities. At this time, I am unable to comment further, as we do not want to jeopardize the ongoing investigations or hinder the prosecution of those responsible.
Hanceville turns law enforcement over to the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office
On Feb. 20, Mayor Sawyer issued another statement:
After a productive meeting with Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry, the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office will temporarily provide all law enforcement services in the Hanceville police jurisdiction effective at 5 p.m. today. All 911 and emergency calls will be routed directly to the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office.
Effective at 5 p.m. today, all employees of the Hanceville Police Department will be placed on administrative leave.
The Hanceville City Council will meet publicly on Thursday, February 27, 2025, at 5 p.m. at the Hanceville City Hall. The meeting will discuss and address the future of the Hanceville Police Department and other potential actions regarding the same.
The City of Hanceville thanks Sherrif (sic.) Matt Gentry and his office for aiding the citizens of Hanceville at this time due to circumstances revealed Wednesday to the public.
Sheriff Matt Gentry told The Tribune on Tuesday, Feb. 25, that the CCSO has met with the Cullman County Commission to discuss resources – including manpower – for long-term patrol and investigative services for Hanceville, should the City determine that the current HPD shutdown needs to be extended.
Area resident updates 2022 federal lawsuit against Hanceville City and PD
Joshua Phillips was arrested in Hanceville, following a confrontation at a local gas station/convenience store with HPD officer Josh Howell. Phillips came to HPD headquarters, where he said he wanted to file a complaint, but ended up in a physical altercation with Howell, Officer Kyle Duncan and then Deputy Chief Lowell Adam Hadder (now plaintiff in the above-mentioned lawsuit), after which he was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. The charges were later dismissed.
In 2022, Phillips filed a federal lawsuit against the three officers and the City of Hanceville for excessive use of force, unlawful search and seizure and false arrest, claiming that the three assaulted him and treated him in a humiliating manner in front of other officers who did nothing. He also claimed to have met with City officials to no avail, and to have incurred medical expenses for treatment of injuries sustained in the incident.
The case is still active.
On Feb 19, 2025, Phillips’ attorney submitted the following motion, claiming the current situation of the HPD as evidence in his case:
COMES NOW, Plaintiff, Joshua Phillips, by and through the undersigned counsel and moves this Court to accept new evidentiary materials from the Cullman County District Attorney’s Office where the Hanceville Police Department has been indicted for present and old police officers for failure to account for, preserve, and maintain evidence, and in doing so has failed crime victims and public at large. Further stated that based on the investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation, the grand jury found that the Hanceville Police Department is a particular and ongoing threat to public safety. Additionally, there is
a rampant culture of corruption in the Hanceville Police Department. Also, the Hanceville Police Department has abused public trust by its failure of oversight, lack of leadership and negligent training and hiring. Further investigation is being carried out into the Hanceville Police Department and an official audit of the entire department present and in the past.
Public meeting tonight
Hanceville’s mayor and city council will meet at 5 p.m. today at Hanceville City Hall to “discuss and address the future of the Hanceville Police Department and other potential actions regarding the same.” The public is invited to attend.
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