Smart reflected on the agony she felt in the six weeks and two days that she remained in limbo, not knowing where her daughter was or what happened to her. Whitton pleaded not guilty on Jan. 27. Barry Whitton pleads not guilty to five charges, including intimidating Kimberly and her daughter may have traveled to Montana after they went missing, but investigators suspect foul play was involved in their cases. To highlight the impact Michelle's death had on her family, Gwathney read a letter to the court from the victim's mother, Joyce Smart. Already a convicted felon, he was not allowed to own weapons. At Gray, our journalists report, write, edit and produce the news content that informs the communities we serve. Whitton was granted a continuance last month to allow his lawyers, appointed in January, adequate time to prepare his defense. Report an Error | Submit a Tip to WAFF 48. I am currently writing a book titled The Vietnam Idea which examines . It took hours of digging through old video, but what we found is priceless. He said he gave his wife $20,000 in cash, and he never saw them after that. Kimberly, circa 2007; Barry Whitton, circa 1997; Barry Whitton, circa 2007; Michelle Whitton. The panel of eight men and. Prosecutorssecured a murder indictment in December,17 years after the alleged crime. [1] [2] He was born in Broomy Hill, Herefordshire, and killed in action during the First World War. Evidence was presented at trial that Whitton murdered. Barry Whitton was a suspect in Michelle Whitton's murder nearly 10-years ago. "They say there wasn't any sign of foul play in the car so that gives me hope that she's still alive," said Whitton in 1997. Whitton murder case appeal denied as second cold-case investigation Whitton had convictions at the time for receiving stolen property, resulting in the federal violations. Brown hair, brown eyes. disappearance of 36-year-old Kimberly Compton Whitton and her 11-year-old daughter, Haleigh Brean Culwell. View Barry Witthuhn results including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. He stated they may have gone to Montana. Kimberly had worked at the nursing home for seven years prior to her disappearance, and the only time she missed work was to take Haleigh on a school trip. Barry Whitton is also a suspect in the 2007 disappearance of his second wife, Kimberly Compton Whitton, 36, and her 11-year-old daughter, Haleigh Brean Culwell. He has remained in the Cullman County Jail more than an hour away since being charged. Whitton was serving a federal sentence on the weapons convictions when he was charged with Michelle Whitton's slaying. It is unclear when Haleigh was last seen. Barry Van Whitton found guilty in murder of Michelle Whitton Whitton Barry - Security Specialist - RiverCity Security - LinkedIn 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Barry the Hatchet: Directed by Bobby Blood. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Chattanooga Times Free Press, Inc. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Whitton then filed an application on Dec. 21 for a rehearing, asking the Court of Appeals to reconsider its decision. Ethan Whitton, now 19 and in the U.S. Air Force, did not attend the trial or his father's sentencing, according to family. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. He also was charged with first-degree promoting prison contraband in another incident. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Chattanooga Times Free Press, Inc. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Catalog; For You; Chattanooga Times Free Press. Join Facebook to connect with Barry Whitton and others you may know. Barry Whitton gave us an interview when his first wife was missing. BIRMINGHAM - A Section man whose wife and stepdaughter have been missing for more than a month was indicted today in U.S. District Court of being a felon in possession of firearms. By browsing this site, we may share your information with our social media partners in accordance with our. Whitton guilty of murdering wife in 1997 2015-09-25 - BY BEN BENTON STAFF WRITER . Barry is considered a suspect in Kimberly and Haleigh's cases, although he has never confessed to harming them. Kimberly was last seen alive on June 2, 2007, when she left work at a Scottsboro nursing home. Barry Van Whitton (Cullman County jail) Barry Van Whitton, 46, is accused of murdering his first wife, Michelle Townson Whitton, in 1997. Prosecutorssecured a murder indictment in December,17 years after the crime. The wallet contained a receipt with an early December date and was found just a few feet from the car. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. All rights reserved (About Us). Whitton is currentlyserving a federal sentence on gun charges brought against him during investigators' searchKim Whitton and her daughter. The driveway leading up to the residence has two locked gates and as a result, the cabin can only be reached on foot. When it rained or snowed, she cried harder, she wrote, because in her heart, she knew her daughter was dead and feared what the elements and the animals were doing to her remains. In December 1997, 28-year-old Michelle Whitton was reported missing by her husband Barry Whitton. Murder suspect charged with threatening witness from jail Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 7/1/2023). None of those he talked of killing were his wives or stepdaughter. Supreme Court of Alabama. - FindLaw Caselaw He was transferred from the Jackson County Jail in June and is being held in Cullman County without bond. Whitton, dressed in a gray button-up shirt with his hair pulled back in a ponytail, showed no emotion as the guilty verdict was read and jurors were polled individually. Barry's first wife, Michelle Townsend Whitton, also disappeared in late 1997. Gwathney said Whitton demonstrated his nature in the vicious attack. SCOTTSBORO, Ala. It didn't take long for a jury to find Barry Van Whitton charged in the 1997 slaying of his thenwife, Michelle guilty of murder Thursday. He also faces two counts of intimidation of a witnessin alleged threats he made this past Juneagainst his own parents, who testified at his trial last month. View the profiles of people named Barry Whitton. They got married about a year after Michelle's death, after only four to six months of dating. Also brought up during the hearing, the death of Whitton's first wife. Facebook gives people the power to. Jackson man charged in 1997 slaying of first wife, suspected in Kimberly was last seen alive on June 2, 2007, when she left work at a Scottsboro nursing home. Whitton's murder indictment indicates that Michelle Whitton suffered blunt force trauma to the head. She was found beaten to death about 15 miles from their home. Sep 2008 - Dec 202012 years 4 months. A man accused of killing his first wife and suspected in the disappearance of his second faces new charges of threatening a witness in his impending murder trial. The typical sentence given for those charges is between 12 and 18 months, but the judge elected to sentence Barry to the maximum term due to the danger she believed he posed to the community; she described him as the most dangerous defendant she had seen in her judicial career. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Barry Van Whitton's case was delayed to Sept. 9 upon a defense motion . Court records describe the rope as a choking tool. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. By browsing this site, we may share your information with our social media partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy. (TLM, ) September 5, 2018: Filing 7 . Strange also pointed out that Whitton's imprisonment could prompt new leads in other cases Whitton might be involved in. The criminal complaint states Whitton threatened to harm a witness in the murder trial, which is set to begin on Sept. 9. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. A Jackson County Alabama man has been charged with killing his first wife.46-year-old Barry Whitton has been arrested in the beating death of 28-year-old Mic. (Crystal Bonvillian/cbonvillian@al.com). He was found guilty in September 2015 and sentenced to life in prison. I'm going to fight for my baby to the end,'' Rickett said. Whitton was granted a continuance last month to allow his lawyers, appointed in January, adequate time to prepare his defense. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 7/1/2023). He has never been charged in their cases. Whitton is charged with murder in the December 1997 deathof Michelle Townson Whitton. By browsing this site, we may share your information with our social media partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy. She was found in a shallow grave about six weeks later. Whitton went 17 years before being charged with Michelle Whitton's murder in December 2014. The 46-year-old former Section, Ala., resident will be sentenced later, according to presiding Judge John Graham. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. "Do you have anything to do with your wife's disappearance? Authorities found five weapons during the search. Ajudge denied bond for Whitton, who is in federal custody for being a convicted felon in possession of 5 firearms. He was still serving time on the federal charge when murder charges were leveled against him in Michelle Whitton's slaying. All rights reserved. Whitton is charged in the 1997 beating death of his first wife. Whitton is charged in the 1997 beating death of his first wife. All rights reserved (About Us). At Gray, our journalists report, write, edit and produce the news content that informs the communities we serve. Already a convicted felon, he was not allowed to own weapons. Kimberly promised to call her friend back in five minutes. By browsing this site, we may share your information with our social media partners in accordance with our, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Court records show it was reset for 9 a.m. July 11 in federal court in Huntsville at Whitton's request. Crystal Bonvillian Barry Whitton to stand trial in September in first wife's slaying Barry Van Whitton's new trial date has been set for Sept. 9. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Donations are accepted but not expected; the site remains free-access to all. He had been married to Kimberly for eight years prior to her disappearance. He was still serving time on the federal charge when murder charges were leveled against him. When he was indicted, the former resident of Section, Ala., was serving a federal sentence in West Virginia on weapons charges. A former cellmate of Whitton'stestified in federal court in 2008 that Whitton once boasted of killing three peoplein the past and getting away with it. Barry hasn't faced any charges relating to their disappearances. All rights reserved (About Us). September 9, 2015 at 1:00 a.m. Whitton will be sentenced on October15. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. In July, he was charged with promoting prison contraband amid allegations that potential tools for escape were found in his Jackson County cell in May. She never did. Court records filed on Tuesday show Whitton is now additionally charged with intimidating a witness. She was found beaten and stabbed to death and buried in a shallow grave in DeKalb County, Alabama six weeks later, in January 1998. Kimberly's nickname is Kim. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Chattanooga Times Free Press, Inc. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The alleged threat was made on June 10, while Whitton was in the Cullman County Detention Center. Barry Van Whitton, 46, formerly of Section, Ala., was convicted of murder in the slaying of his first wife, Michelle Townson Whitton, in 1997. She wrote of the health problems her grief has caused her, as well asher struggles to move on and live her life without Michelle, even as she continued to make good memories with the remainder of her family. Smart, who sat in the courtroom, listening and wiping away tears, as Gwathney read, recalled in the letter how Michelle would never hang up the phone or walk out the door without telling her mother she loved her. All rights reserved (About Us). Final arguments begin today in trial of man charged with killing his Barry Van Whitton will spend the rest of his life in prison for bludgeoning his first wife, Michelle Townson Whitton, to death with the butt of a shotgun nearly 18 years ago in their Jackson County home. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The day she went missing, Kimberly went to her job at Cloverdale Manor Nursing Home in Scottsboro, Alabama to pick up some papers. "Today, justice is served to a convicted murderer who will finally pay for a heinous crime that he committed 18 years ago," Strange said. Barry Whitton has not been charged in the disappearance of Kim Whitton and Haleigh but netted a federal weapons charge stemming from the discovery of several guns while authorities were searching for the mother and daughter. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. A Jackson County jury on Sept. 24, 2015, convicted Barry Van Whitton of first-degree murder in the slaying of Michelle Whitton, whose body was found in January 1998 just inside neighboring DeKalb County. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Then came news Michelle's car was found and that's whenWAFF 48 News went to talk with her husband, Barry. Barry Van Whitton was indicted on two counts of intimidating a witness, two counts of criminal coercion and one count of promoting prison contraband. The year is 1985 and urban legend has it that the disappearances of mountain goers are the work of a troubled boy named Barry who murdered his daycare mates 26 years earlier and was abandoned in the woods by his devoutly religious parents. It's unclear whether she knew his previous wife had been murdered or that he was considered a suspect. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. He told investigators she went to get breakfast in Scottsboro, but never returned. In the state's second closing remarks at the conclusion of trial testimony, Gwathney said those people who claimed to have seen Michelle Whitton that Sunday actually saw her on Saturday, when she was wearing the clothes found with her when her body was discovered Jan. 20, 1998, in a shallow grave under a cliff in neighboring DeKalb County. During the detention hearing, anFBI agent said blood evidence was found in a truck on the Whitton property and on a small hatchet. Whitton now has 14 days from the ruling to seek a review by the Alabama Supreme Court, Patterson said. A Jackson County man accused of killing his first wife and suspected in the disappearance of his second will stand trial for murder in September. "Our investigation has determined this morning that it is the body of Michelle Whitton reported missing out of Jackson County," said former sheriff Cecil Reed in January 1998. While in jail on the gun charges, Barry allegedly told a cellmate he did not kill Michelle, but he knew who did and he had killed that person. Copyright 2023, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Inc. Man whose wife, daughter missing is indicted on federal charges JACKSON COUNTY, AL (WAFF) - The man convicted in September formurdering his wife in 1997 entered a not guilty plea to five charges, including intimidating a witness and waived his right to an arraignment on Wednesday morning. Court officials could not say on Tuesday how long jury selection might take in the case. Barry Van Whitton's new trial date has been set for Sept. 9. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 7/1/2023). Tipsters could be eligible for a reward.Source: Alabama Attorney Generals Office, Cold Case Unit. Harnen on Tuesday said the case involving Whitton's second wife, Kimberly Compton Whitton, and her daughter, Haleigh Brean Culwell, remains cold. Guns were found on his property, and he is not legally permitted to own them due to his criminal history. Alabama man accused of killing wife in 1997. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 7/1/2023). Whitton found guilty of murdering wife in 1997 Jackson County, Ala Whitton, 46, made no statement to the court before Jackson County Circuit Judge John Graham handed down the sentence, the maximum that the former Section resident faced in the 1997 murder. A Jackson County grand jury has charged Barry Van Whitton, 46, of Section with the murder of Michelle Townson Whitton. At the time Michelle was reported missing, she and Barry lived in the Dutton Community. Today's e-Edition Times-Journal Wednesday April 12, 2023 Newsletters "She meant nothing to him," Gwathney said, pointing toward Barry Whitton. ", "Anything and everything. Whitton is suspected, but has never been charged, in thedisappearance of 36-year-old Kimberly Compton Whitton and her 11-year-old daughter, Haleigh Brean Culwell. Ex parte Clinton Carter :: 2017 :: Supreme Court of Alabama Decisions Kimberly Culwell met the love of her life Barry Van Whitton through his magazine personal ad in 1999. Kimberly Whitton A photo of Michelle is posted with this case summary. Meanwhile, Whitton remains a suspect in the disappearance of his second wife and her daughter, who were last seen alive about 10 years ago, according to state officials and Jackson County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Rocky Harnen. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Photographs of Barry are posted with this case summary. Copyright 2023, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Inc. Whitton, 46, made no Michelle Townson Whitton went missing in 1997. Jury selection began Wednesday morning in the murder trial of Barry Van Whitton, 46, of Section. Strange said the Whitton case demonstratedthe determination and dedication of law enforcement officers to see justice done, no matter the passage of time. He is currently serving the final year of afederal sentence on weapons chargesthat were filed against himafter several weapons were found in his home during a July 2007 search for Kim Whitton and her daughter. Graham said the sentencing date will be set later. Bynum has since died. Twenty-eight-year-old Michelle Whitton was bludgeoned with the butt of a shotgun, cut on the face and throat, and stabbed in the chest. The Charley Project is NOT a registered non-profit organization and any donations will NOT be tax-deductible. Jackson County prosecutors rested their case in the murder trial of Barry Whitton Tuesday after two former inmates testified that Whitton admitted killing his first wife in 1997. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Authorities found five weapons during the search. At the time Barry said she, like Kimberly and Haleigh, had simply left; he said Michelle went out to get breakfast and never came back. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. 256-574-2610. Barry Whitton Profiles | Facebook Barry and Kimberly met through a personals ad Barry placed in a magazine. testified in federal court in 2008 that Whitton once boasted of killing three people, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. I hope now that he has been put away, that others may come forward with information that they have," Strange said. Kimberly and her young daughter, Haleigh Culwell, were last seen on June 21, 2007. She disappeared in 1997, and was later found beaten and stabbed to death in DeKalb County. "Her death left me half-dead and I would have died for her if I could have," Smart wrote. Alabama Supreme Court Upholds Barry Whitton Murder Conviction Her body was found partially buried in a shallow grave about six weeks after she was reported missing. A judge denied bond for Whitton, who is in federal custody for being a convicted felon in possession of 5 firearms. Barry Whitton Managing Director at Burns & Wilcox Brokerage Atlanta, Georgia, United States 1K followers 500+ connections Join to view profile Burns & Wilcox Brokerage Georgia Institute of. He also thanked the witnesses who came forward to shed light on the details behind Michelle Whitton's murder. Barry V Whitton in AL - Address & Phone Number Whitton had convictions at the time for receiving stolen property, resulting in the federal violations. He was sentenced to ten years in prison. He faces between 20 years to life in prison for the felony. He was transferred there in Mayfrom Jackson County. Barry Van Whitton was indicted on two counts of intimidating a witness, two counts of criminal coercion and one count of promoting prison contraband. It's still being processed to find out if it's Kim Whitton's or Haleigh Culwell's. In the nearly two decades since her death, the prosecutor said, her family has suffered a "tremendous amount of loss.". Jackson County man indicted in 1997 murder of first wife | Updated September 25, 2015 at 11:34 a.m. SCOTTSBORO, Ala. - It didn't take long for a jury to find Barry Van Whitton - charged in the 1997 slaying of his then-wife, Michelle - guilty of murder Thursday. Kimberly and Barry weren't having any known problems in their marriage in 2007, and Kimberly hadn't told anyone her husband was mistreating her. Barry Van Whitton's new trial date has been set for Sept. 9. Whitton was indicted in December 2014 and formally charged in January while serving a federal sentence for an unrelated weapons conviction. Barry Van Whitton | | times-journal.com Missing Mother & Daughter of Alabama - Medium
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