AL - Kellie Ann Hughes, 31, fatally shot in woods after 911 call, Jefferson County, Dec 2019 arrests

[The Handyman]

Mother of Bethalto triple murder victim speaks about killings | 'Can't imagine how I will accept it'

This lady, the mother of one of the victims, is my nieces' piano teacher. It seems that her son may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. And he is not related to the female suspect (although this point was already made). It looks like Witcher and McMillan were there to steal a car, and possibly other property. The car they stole from the house was Yates's car. It was found at the Days Inn in Hazelwood and was apparently what caused the Hazelwood police to contact the Bethalto police to conduct a welfare check on the home, which is when the bodies were discovered. I'm still not clear on exactly when they were in Bethalto, but I guess it had to be sometime Thursday. Bethalto must've been their stop between fleeing Tennessee and ending up in Hazelwood. I wonder what their long-term plan was, or if they had one. Where were they trying to go? Canada? How many more people would they have killed before they got there?

 

[*~Aimee~*]

Thank you for providing that information. His name has been misspelled all over facebook and the internet.

I saw on the go fund me comment link in an article where his dad had commented to fix it. Then I noticed a few more recent articles getting it right. I bet a lot of people were thinking this. I thought sister or cousin at first myself. I'll find the comment/article and then you can see for yourself and look at dad's FB and see. Brb

 

[*~Aimee~*]

I was wondering others views.
A lot of comments against the telegraph use of the photos. What does others view?

The Telegraph (look at the 128 comments here)

This article and the photos.
Police ID three Bethalto residents found dead, 2 suspected of violent multi-state crime spree

 

[*~Aimee~*]

Video: A friend of one of the victims in a Bethalto triple homicide speaks

A friend of one of the victims in a Bethalto triple homicide speaks

(AJ's friend speaks out)

 

[*~Aimee~*]

Andrew "A.J." Brooks - View Obituary & Service Information

Shari Ann Yates - View Obituary & Service Information

 

[*~Aimee~*]

Candle light Vigil in honor of Shari, Aj, and Johnny

 

[*~Aimee~*]

Murder suspects coming to county


Brady Witcher, left, and Brandy McMillan have waived extradition and will be brought to Madison County on charges related to the Dec. 19 murders of Shari Yates, Andrew “AJ” Brooks and John McMillian

 

[*~Aimee~*]

Two suspected in execution-style slayings of 3 in Bethalto being sent to Madison County Jail

 

[*~Aimee~*]

What we know about alleged multi-state spree that ended after three found killed in Bethalto

 

[*~Aimee~*]

Pair charged in Bethalto triple homicide waive extradition, will face hearing in Madison County

 

[*~Aimee~*]

Dozens gather to remember 3 people killed in Bethalto triple murder

 

[*~Aimee~*]

Reclaiming a home: Vigil honors victims of Bethalto triple slaying

 

[PezCandy]

Was kellie one of those 3 victims or just speculation?

 

[The Handyman]

No, Kellie wasn't one of the 3 victims found in the house in Bethalto, IL. She was killed a week earlier in Alabama. It was probably her murder that set Witcher and McMillan on their multi-state crime spree. After killing Kellie, they apparently kidnapped another woman (so far unidentified), who somehow knew about the murder. This woman managed to call 911 and escape (amazing that she wasn't murdered, too). After she was found and rescued, she told authorities about Kellie, which is how they found her. By this point, it appears Witcher and McMillan were already on their way north, where they committed a whole host of other crimes.

I haven't been able to find a lot of information about the Kellie Ann Hughes part of the case; most of the news regarding Witcher and McMillan have been about their arrest and the crimes they committed after fleeing Alabama. I'm not sure what the most up-to-date information is regarding the Alabama stuff.

The 3 Bethalto victims' names are Shari Yates, Andrew Brooks, and John McMillian (who is of no relation to the female suspect, Brittany McMillan).

 

[*~Aimee~*]

Ultimate justice? Gibbons calls on feds to take over recent Madison County murder cases, with eye on death penalty

On Monday, Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Gibbons officially requested that U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft of the Southern District of Illinois review the cases for prosecution under the Federal First Degree Murder Statute — 18 USC §1111 — or other applicable statutes that would allow application of the federal death penalty “upon the individuals who committed these brutal, interstate murders.”

Specifically, the letter seeks federal prosecution for the Dec. 19 slayings of Shari Yates, Andrew “AJ” Brooks and John McMillan in Bethalto; the Jan. 4 slaying of Randy Gori in Edwardsville; and the Jan. 8 slaying of James Thomas in Granite City.

 

[*~Aimee~*]

Feds will review recent Madison County murder cases, but say not all are eligible for death penalty

The statement explains that cases prosecuted federally fall under three categories — if the crime involves a federal official, if the murder occurred on federal land or if the killing occurred during the commission of another federal offense, such as bank robbery.

“Not all of these crimes are punishable by the death penalty,” the statement says. “Nor does a homicide automatically become a death-eligible federal crime simply because someone crossed a state line.”

 

[*~Aimee~*]

Witcher admitted to Bethalto murders after victim refused drugs-for-truck offer, affidavit says

Brady Witcher, 41, of Birmingham, Alabama, told police he went to the home in the 300 block of Mill Street in Bethalto to meet Andrew “A.J.” Brooks, according to the search warrant. Witcher told police he offered Brooks drugs and cash in exchange for Brooks’ pickup truck, but Brooks refused, according to an affidavit on filed in Madison County Circuit Court.

Witcher is accused of shooting Brooks with a .45-caliber handgun. Witcher also allegedly chased two other people inside the home — Brooks’ mother, Shari Yates, 59, and John McMillian, 32 — and fatally shot them, according to the document.

 

[The Handyman]

Well, now we know what actually went down in that house in Bethalto, at least. Still don't know a whole heck of a lot about the Alabama part of the crime spree, though. In particular, I find the whole sequence about them killing one woman, then apparently kidnapping another woman, who managed to escape and call police, perplexing. Oh, well. I guess the details will come out in time.

 

[*~Aimee~*]

Well, now we know what actually went down in that house in Bethalto, at least. Still don't know a whole heck of a lot about the Alabama part of the crime spree, though. In particular, I find the whole sequence about them killing one woman, then apparently kidnapping another woman, who managed to escape and call police, perplexing. Oh, well. I guess the details will come out in time.

Thing is AJ didn't have a truck. He didn't even have his drivers license. I know because I know AJ. They took his mom's car. Ford focus. So I don't believe all Brady is saying.


Also Thankfully they didn't kill the couple in Tennessee. Almost did.
I hope it does get tried at federal level and they get the DP. I know Alabama does have DP too. Wish Illinois still did.

 

[The Handyman]

Thing is AJ didn't have a truck. He didn't even have his drivers license. I know because I know AJ. They took his mom's car. Ford focus. So I don't believe all Brady is saying.


Also Thankfully they didn't kill the couple in Tennessee. Almost did.
I hope it does get tried at federal level and they get the DP. I know Alabama does have DP too. Wish Illinois still did.

Weird. Maybe John McMillian had a truck, and Witcher is confused about whose truck he was trying to buy?

Here's a little bit more detail:

Search warrant: Man says he killed 3 in Bethalto after they refused his 'dope and cash' offer for pick-up truck

Says that McMillian was shot first (kinda weird if it was Brooks who had the truck the bad guy wanted) and then the mother and son were shot in the back as they attempted to run toward the back of the house.

My guess is Witcher is so mixed up in the head he doesn't even know exactly what he did, to whom, or why.

These people could have very easily committed three more murders--the kidnapped couple in Tennessee, and the kidnapped woman in Alabama. I'm actually kinda wondering why they didn't murder that second woman in Alabama. If they had, they might never have been caught. It was her distress call that started the manhunt. They had her tied up and everything. I guess she somehow managed to get away. I'm also curious how she knew about the first homicide, and why Witcher and McMillan went to the trouble of kidnapping her and not just killing her right away. It's also weird how reports say police found her "falling down a stairwell." Was she pushed? Was she on the run and tripped? How steep was this stairwell, and how far did she fall? I just find that weird.

The kidnapped couple in Tennessee I can understand, since they actually did have an altercation with them, and attempted to kill them, but failed. This would have caused them to panic, so they ran away. But I have no idea why they tied up and kidnapped the second Alabama woman without killing her. Good for her, though, whoever she is.