Thompson accepts plea in Sidwell murder case

Posted February 17, 2015 at 7:14 pm

A Clinton County man charged with a co-defendant in relation to the murder of another Albany man, Jimmy Sidwell, Jr., in October 2013, has agreed to accept a 35-year prison sentence for his alleged role in that crime.

During a pretrial conference held in Clinton Circuit Court on January 8 of this year, Michael E. Thompson entered into a plea agreement with the prosecution to plead guilty to complicity to murder. The defendant, under the plea, would receive a 35-year sentence to serve.

According to court records, the defendant “agrees to cooperate and testify truthfully against co-defendant Andrea Byler.” All other charges, according to the agreement, will be dismissed after the trial of Commonwealth vs. Andrea Byler, if the defendant complies with the terms of the offer.

The Commonwealth stated it will oppose probation and the judge ordered a pre-sentence investigation report be prepared and submitted with final sentencing for Thompson scheduled for May 14.

Both Thompson and Byler had originally been scheduled to stand trial for Sidwell’s murder last October but Clinton Circuit Judge David L. Williams granted a defense motion for continuance for each defendant.

Thompson was originally charged with murder, one count of tampering with physical evidence and first degree robbery. Byler was charged with murder and two counts of tampering with physical evidence.

Thompson and Byler were arrested by Kentucky State Police on October 27, 2013 and charged in connection with Sidwell’s death.

The victim’s body was found the day prior to the arrests underneath an unoccupied mobile home on Cody Lane in South Albany, behind Lee’s Famous Recipe.

Albany Police Department officers were the first to be dispatched to the scene, where the 911 caller was putting a roof on a building nearby and saw the body under the trailer.

Albany Police Chief Ernest Guffey said at the time the body may have been deceased “for a day or two” prior to being discovered and that the location probably wasn’t the initial crime scene, indicating Sidwell had been killed someplace else and then placed underneath the home.

Medical Examiner autopsy results indicated Sidwell died from multiple stab wounds to the upper torso.