Adair Progress

Posted June 30, 2011 at 1:15 pm

The Kentucky Supreme Court has upheld the conviction and death penalty sentence of William Harry Meece for the 1993 murders of Columbia veterinarian Joseph Wellnitz, his wife Beth and their son Dennis.

In a 77-page decision released last Thursday, the court’s justices all concurred that Meece received a fair trial on the charges for which he was convicted–one charge of burglary first degree, one charge of robbery first degree, and three counts of murder–following a trial in Warren Circuit Court in August, 2006. The jury recommended that Meece be sentenced to 20 years on the burglary charge, 20 years on the robbery charge (with the sentences to run consecutively) and receive the death penalty for each of the three counts of murder.

Circuit Judge James Weddle imposed the sentences recommended by the jurors at Meece’s formal sentencing on September 18, 2006.

One of Adair County’s most heinous crimes occurred on Feb. 26, 2003, when Joseph, Beth and Dennis Wellnitz were shot to death in their Conover Lane home next to their veterinary clinic just outside Columbia.

Despite a concentrated and prolonged investigation by the Kentucky State Police, the murders went unsolved for almost 10 years, until investigators obtained evidence and information linking Meece and the Wellnitz’ daughter, Meg Wellnitz Appleton, to the crime.

In February 2003, an Adair County Grand Jury indicted both Meece and Appleton for three counts of murder, burglary and robbery.

The decision was made to try Meece first, and his trial was set to begin in November 2004 in Adair Circuit Court. However, as jury selection was underway, Meece and his attorneys accepted a plea agreement offered by the Commonwealth in which Meece entered a guilty plea to the charges in exchange for a sentence of life without the possibility of parole for 25 years. As part of the plea agreement, Meece agreed to give truthful statements about his involvement in the Wellnitz’ murders and to testify against his co-defendant, Meg Wellnitz Appleton.

Meece gave two video taped statements about the murders, detailing how he had entered the Wellnitz’ home and shot all three victims. He also gave statements implicating Appleton in the murder plot, and how he was promised a share of the over $500,000 she stood to inherit from their deaths.

Appleton’s trial was scheduled to be held in January 2005, but prior to the start of the trial she entered into a plea agreement in which she pleaded guilty to three counts of complicity to murder, burglary and robbery, in exchange for a sentence of life without parole for 25 years. She also agreed to testify against Meece if necessary.

In May 2005, Meece withdrew his guilty plea and, with new attorneys, requested a trial on the charges. Judge Weddle honored Meece’s request for a trial, and it was agreed that a change of venue would be made, and it would be held in Warren County.

While Judge Weddle presided as a special judge, Meece’s trial began on Aug. 21 and ended with Meece being convicted of all charges and the jury recommending the death penalty.

During the trial, Meece’s two videotaped statements detailing his involvement with the murders were played, and Appleton testified against him.

In his appeal to the state Supreme Court, Meece and his counsel cited numerous reasons for overturning the verdict, with one of the main ones being that the jurors heard on tape that he pleaded guilty, and this influenced their decision regardless of the evidence.

However, Justice Will T. Scott, writing for the court, said that even without the videotaped statements there was overwhelming testimony and evidence implicating Meece in the murders.

As for the tapes themselves, Scott said there was no pressure on Meece to plead guilty and give the statements, only the standard warning that failure to comply with the agreement could subject him to a trial and possible death sentence.

The justices also dismissed numerous other reasons cited in Meece’s appeal, and all of them concurred with the decision.

************************

A 26-year-old Adair County man was killed this past Thursday afternoon in a skid steer loader accident that occurred while he was feeding cattle.

Casey Bennett, of Weed-Keltner Road, Columbia, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, which occurred on P.D. Pyles Road off KY 61 North around 4:45 p.m. Thursday, June 16.

According to Adair County Sheriff Harrison Moss, Bennett, who worked for Mike Loy’s livestock company, was in the process of feeding cattle at Loy’s farm using a New Holland Skid Steer Loader when an incident occurred that resulted in the loader arm attachment trapping the victim inside the piece of equipment. Farm owner Loy found Bennett when he went to check on him.

Adair County Coroner Todd Akin said that Bennett died instantly of blunt force trauma. The coroner pronounced him dead at 5:04 p.m.

Thursday’s accident was the second farm-related fatality to occur in Adair County this year. On March 23, L.V. Scott was killed in a tractor-disc accident behind his home on Weed-Keltner Road. Scott and Casey Bennett lived only about one-half mile from each other.

************************

(Note: Information from a Lindsey Wilson College Press Release and the Clarksville Leaf Chronicle was used in this story)

Vic Moulden, a member of the 2010 Lindsey Wilson College football team, was remembered on Monday as “a bright and energetic young man with tremendous potential as a person.”

Moulden, 20, died early Sunday morning in his hometown of Clarksville, Tenn. as a result of injuries suffered from a gunshot wound. According to a news release from Clarksville Police, at about 2:33 a.m. Sunday, police in the area heard shots being fired. Officers found two people who had been shot in a parking lot. One of them was Moulden, who died shortly after police discovered him and another victim, Mitchell Blue Jr., 21, of Oak Grove, Tenn., who was not fatally wounded.

Shortly after the shooting, police captured the suspect, 21-year-old Phtra Oum who had blood on his face, clothing and shoes. According to Clarksville Police Officer Jim Knoll, Oum was arrested and charged with criminal homicide and attempted homicide.

Oum was listed as being with Headquarters Battery 3-320 Field Artillery at Fort Campbell. Army officials say Oum was in the process of being discharged from the U.S. Army at the time of his arrest.

“Based on his lack of discipline and refusal to adhere to the Army core values, the chain of command here determined that he was no longer fit to wear the uniform and therefore began the separation process to chapter him out of the Army,” a Fort Campbell spokesman said in a release. “Pvt. Oum was in the final stages of being separated from the Army when the incident took place.”

Moulden led the Blue Raiders last season with 44 catches and a 62.3 yards per game average. He was tied for team’s lead with 623 total receiving yards.

“Vic’s life on this earth was cut far too short and his presence will be deeply missed by anyone whose path he crossed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and loved ones.”