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Alabama City to Rebuild Police Department After Grand Jury Indictment

By James Seidel | Broken Badges Series | CC News Network

HANCEVILLE, Ala. — A small Alabama city is dismantling and rebuilding its police department after a grand jury indicted its police chief and four officers, recommending the force be abolished due to its alleged criminal activities.

The Hanceville City Council voted unanimously Monday to suspend the department’s operations and begin the search for a new chief to oversee its reconstruction. The move follows a shocking grand jury report that described the department as operating “more as a criminal enterprise than a law enforcement agency” and deemed it an “ongoing threat to public safety.”

Mayor Jim Sawyer had already placed the department’s staff on administrative leave last month, citing the grand jury’s findings. In the interim, the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office will assume policing duties in Hanceville until a new force is established, officials said.

Indictments and Criminal Allegations

The scandal involves former Police Chief Shane Marlin, four officers, and an officer’s wife, all of whom were indicted on charges related to evidence tampering and the use of performance-enhancing drugs. The six defendants are set to be arraigned later this month.

Attempts to reach Marlin, 51, for comment were unsuccessful, as phone numbers listed for him appeared to be disconnected.

The Hanceville Police Department employed around 12 officers, according to city officials.

Who Was Charged?

The indictments include top officials and multiple officers within the department:

Police Chief Jason Shane Marlin

Charged with: According to Marlin’s indictment, he is accused of failing to report Wilbanks and Cody Kelso for violating ethics laws after being notified of the same by the State Bureau of Investigation.
- Two counts of Failure to Report Ethics Crime
- Tampering with Physical Evidence
Marlin was released from the Cullman County Jail on a $30,000 bond.

Officer Cody Alan Kelso

Charged with:
According to Kelso’s indictment, he is accused of distributing Adderall to man, Hydrocodone and Anabolic Steroids to Wilbanks, and Anabolic Steroids to Cody Kelso.

The conspiracy charges stem from the conspiracy to distribute Anabolic Steroids to Wilbanks Cody Kelso.
- Four counts of Unlawful Distribution of a Controlled Substance
- Two counts of Conspiracy to Unlawfully Distribute a Controlled Substance
Kelso was released from the Cullman County Jail on a $30,000 bond.

Officer William Andrew Shelnutt

Charged with: Tampering with physical evidence

Reserve Officer Eric Michael Kelso & his wife, Donna Reid Kelso

Charged with: Unlawful distribution of a controlled substance, conspiracy to unlawfully distribute a controlled substance
While the Kelso couple’s drug charges are unrelated to the evidence room, they are accused of distributing controlled substances to other defendants in the case.

Officer Jason Scott Wilbanks 37, is charged with two counts of computer tampering, two counts of using office for personal gain, tampering with evidence, and two counts of solicitation to commit a controlled substance crime.

Wilbanks, according to court records, is accused of using a department issued cell phone to get controlled substances from Eric and Donna Kelso. Those records also accuse Wilbanks of traveling to a local hospital while on duty to receive anabolic steroid shots from Donna Kelso.

All of the felony charges stem from abuse of power and evidence tampering, with the exception of misdemeanor tampering with evidence, which alleges that officers removed or mishandled evidence from the department’s evidence room.

Alabama Grand Jury Recommends Abolishing Police Department Amid Corruption Scandal

Investigation Sparked by Dispatcher’s Death

The grand jury’s investigation was prompted by the death of Christopher Michael Willingham, 49, a 911 dispatcher who was found dead at work. The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences ruled his death an accidental fentanyl overdose, but the grand jury did not charge any officers in connection with the incident.

At a news conference last month, Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker described Willingham’s death as a direct result of the police department’s negligence, incompetence, and disregard for human life.

Disturbing Evidence Room Findings

Further investigations revealed severe security breaches in the department’s evidence room. Crocker released a preliminary evidence audit report Monday, detailing the disappearance of narcotics and firearms, including:

1.5 grams of cocaine
67 oxycodone pills
4 Adderall pills
0.5 grams of heroin
A .25-caliber handgun
Approximately 30 undocumented firearms

Crocker’s office also uncovered security footage showing individuals routinely using a broomstick through a hole in the evidence room wall to gain access. Photos of the hole and broomstick were displayed at the news conference.

“These results of the evidence audit are shocking but not surprising,” Crocker wrote in a letter to Mayor Sawyer.

Calls for External Oversight Ignored

Following Willingham’s death, Crocker said he urged Marlin, who was still serving as chief at the time, to involve the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI). However, Marlin refused, forcing the District Attorney’s Office to request an SBI review.

Mixed Reactions from the Community

At Monday night’s City Council meeting, residents had divided opinions on the department’s overhaul. Some welcomed the decision, calling it necessary for public safety, while others expressed concerns about innocent employees being unfairly penalized.

Meanwhile, Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry revealed that his office’s temporary policing efforts in Hanceville are costing the city approximately $25,000 per month.

A Pattern of Corrupt Policing in the South

The Hanceville Police Department isn’t the first law enforcement agency in the region to be accused of gross misconduct.

South Carolina’s “Good Ole Boy” System:

Former Greenville County Sheriff Will Lewis was convicted in 2020 for guilty of misconduct of a public officer.
Former Chester County Sheriff George Alexander “Alex” Underwood was sentenced to 46-months in prison for corruption and other crimes committed during his tenure as sheriff.
Former Federal Correctional Officer Angela Crosland was convicted of multiple charges, including bribery, drug distribution, money laundering, and filing false tax returns, following a federal jury trial.

In Alabama:

Birmingham police detective Rodney Wilson murdered his wife in 2011.
Andalusia Police Officer John G. Barton was disciplined after he arrested a woman at her home because she refused to show him her identification.

The Hanceville case is just the latest example of law enforcement abusing its power, operating like a criminal enterprise, and failing to hold itself accountable.

What’s Next?

With its police force disbanded, Hanceville now faces the challenge of rebuilding trust in law enforcement. The search for a new police chief is already underway, but city officials have not provided a timeline for when the department will be fully reconstituted.

This ongoing investigation is part of CC News Network’s Broken Badges series, uncovering corruption and failures within law enforcement agencies.