GUILTY IL - Jacob Wheeler, 22, & Jessica Evans, 17, White County, 25 Aug 2012 - #1

[scorekeeper]

I am sick to my stomach and blinking back tears. Why should our precious youth not be able to go on a camping trip, enjoy themselves and return safely? It makes me so angry that we have so many bad people in society that the good people have to constantly look over their shoulders.

How did this man slip through for this long?

May God send strength to Jessie and Jacob's families. I would be a rabid dog.

Mmom,

I so agree with your post. I hope the rots in jail :jail:

This whole town will be torn apart and will never be the same :banghead:

To think about these precious young lifes and what they saw in the end....:maddening:

I hurried home to get an update....

I can't stop crying....we love you, Jacob and Jessi....Justice will be served!!

 

[EXIA15145]

I did. I pointed out that the guy at the door could have been taller, heavier, had gray hair and a beard, etc.

You know, that post of mine wasn't ever supposed to get posted. I don't know if the website screwed up or if it was this darn computer. I would greatly appreciate it if people quit responding to something I never meant to show up here. It's gone. It's been gone. As soon as I saw it I knew it was one that should have been deleted. I don't know what happened that it got posted, because it wasn't even the finished product. I worked on it so it wouldn't sound so offensive, and then I said it wasn't necessary so I thought I'd made it disappear.
I'm so sorry, keys. I read what you said earlier, and you did it with so much more finesse than I did. I rewrote that several times, and at some point either the computer I use did its thing or the website. All I know is I kept writing comments, but then I let them disappear, because by the time I was posting, Jake had been found and the case was pretty much closed, and my comments were unnecessary.
My post is GONE. I had it removed, because, it wasn't supposed to be here.
I had so many comments but then I just let them go. Someone kept asking what his rank was. I know all too well a good bit of what they were hoping to learn, but it didn't matter, you all had moved past that. Besides, the greatest part of my knowledge of the military is so old, most of it may not apply anymore. I am a veteran, I am well acquainted with a huge number of veterans. Some old, some new, lol. My son refers to our service as 'back in the day'. I've laughed and said, oh, great, I'm an antique to this child.
I hate to see the veterans of today getting a bad rap. Vietnam happened before my time in service. I am a veteran of that era but, no neither of us were over there. I saw too many of those vets coming home and getting screwed. I wanted to make my best effort to see it wouldn't happen to the veterans of today.
I'm rambling. Keys, thank you. So many of you devoted so much of a week's time to this case, and wow, but I was so impressed with the work you all did. All I wanted to do was get thru this and thank you all. That was it.

 

[georgiasblu]

I became a little worried yesterday after reading the article where town members didn't want to talk about Coston. I wondered if this small town was circling the wagons to protect their own. When you add all the very numerous scrapes with the law you have to wonder what the heck is going on here. To those of you who are locals, is the Coston family influential or is this just small town life? If this goes to trial I certainly hope the jury pool widens!

 

[Valli]

I have been a long time viewer of this website and have been reading all of the posts related to this case. I am from Wayne County, IL (currently live a little west of there but spent the majority of my life in that area) so this case hits close to home. I am familiar with all of the areas mentioned in this case, from Carmi to the Little Wabash to where Jacob's body was found. However my main reason for posting now are the comments about Coston's charges. Specificaly the one mentioning the use of a weapon during a sexual assault. In the past I worked for law enforcement in Illinois, not as an officer but as support staff, and I have seen this charge before. In the cases I have seen where this charge was brought up, a weapon was used to threaten the victim, not that it was necessarily used DURING the physical act. Just during the event to make the victim comply. It is possible that Coston used the weapon as a threat and ended up shooting Jessica due to a struggle or something else. I am not trying to defend the victim, but I think the comment from Disclosure (a self named news source) that jumped to the conclusion that she was shot while being raped based simply on the language of this charge is not right. Especially for those people that knew the victims. Obviously what that article assumed could have really happened but I hope it did not. I think it would be wise for news agencies to wait until the details are released before guessing why certain charges were brought against Coston.

On a side note, I think everyone here has done a great job of speculating on this case and there have been lots of insightful comments.

 

[cocomod]

Please do not ever assume that when a perp confesses to a crime, gives a detailed account, even leads LE to potential evidence, that they will plead guilty and assume responsibility for the crime. A recent case here highlighted the fact that a perp can plead guilty and a jury can find them "not guilty" by reasonable doubt.

See the last posts here:
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=93629&highlight=josie


It makes me absolutely ill to think that a perp can walk after pleading guilty, but it can and does happen.

I wonder if they found the clothing he was wearing when he committed this crime? The blood spatter may tell part of the tale if they did find it. It would indicate how close he was to the victim, and my even prove the "shooting during the rape". This case has made me physically ill. I feel so very sorry for the victims, their families, their friends, and even the community. How terrible this tragedy has been. How terrible it was when Jacob was being considered.

How senseless a crime!

 

[SurfieTX]

This whole situation kind of makes you less tolerant of drunks, doesn't it?

Meh. Not really. After following a lot of cases, I don't find a huge cause and effect statistic and barely even a correlative one.

People do things for the craziest of reasons. I can and will enumerate them as I know them at this point if you would like.

The biggest fault of a drunk, IMO, is driving while drunk.

ETA: Now, illicit/illegal drugs? That's a different story. Murders abound in that situation.

 

[seattlechiquita]

I feel so horrible for these couple. They there were, enjoying a bit of nature, and along comes a drunkard and ruins their lives in the most horrific way. I truly hope the state does not accept a plea. Try his azz.

 

[iamnotagolem]

So sad. I'm so angry. These poor kids.

 

[EXIA15145]

Are you saying you think she was shot with a shotgun?
If he shot her while committing the rape, I would think it was most likely a hand gun.

NO. I'm saying they said she had three bullet wounds. A shotgun would not have left the type of wounds she had.

 

[scorekeeper]

Any local updates?

What was the deal with the "pat on the back" by the Sheriff/deputy?

My heart broke when I saw the picture of Jacob's dad.....

 

[concernedmother]

Snips http://www.14news.com/story/19450808/charges-agains-coston-include-murder-sexual-assault
here are still many questions that remain, but those formal charges that were filed on Tuesday do shed some light on things.

Court was crowded this morning as Coston made his first appearance.
Jacob Wheeler's father, Harold, made sure to be there.

When asked what it was like seeing him face-to-face, Harold said, "Oh, I wanted to get a hold of him, it was hard. But that's fatherly love for his kids."

Like the sheriff and state's attorney, Harold Wheeler knows Danny Coston.

"Been down at my house. I've been at his house, didn't strike me to do something like this," Harold said.

Now, while this is all still going on the sheriff here in White County says their investigation isn't finished yet.

 

[concernedmother]

Snips http://tristatehomepage.com/fulltext?nxd_id=541572&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook
An emotional Coston sat quietly and unsuccessfully fought back tears as the judge read the nine total counts against him.
It's an emotional case for both the State's Attorney and the grieving families.

***

In thirty-three chain-shackled steps, Danny Coston made the short walk from his White County Jail cell to his debut in White County Court.

It must have felt like an eternity for Harold Wheeler.

"Life in prison without parole is what I want for what he's done to those kids," said Wheeler. "That's what we want and what we're seeking."


Webb would not comment on a possible motive nor would he discuss evidence in the case.
"I wish I was a mouse on that riverbank," said Wheeler. "All I know is my son was going to take (Coston) home and he shot in him with a different gun than what my son had."

 

[concernedmother]

So things must have been ok at the beginning then spun out of control.

 

[MagnoliaMom]

The whole bumper/license plate thing kind of blows that whole argument out of the water, doesn't it?

Add in the confession and leading them to the body...dna will seal it for him though.

 

[SmoothOperator]

Devastating just devastating but now makes more sense in knowing the motive was sexual.. Bless Jessi for those final moments of her life that were unimaginable and in her heart she knew her fate after seeing Jake killed..

I do however believe that the circumstance that is of course most disturbing, the rape.. I do believe that the Disclosure is for the most part accurate about how they attempted to as correctly, yet as appropriately as possible describe an act that is pure evil.. An act of that magnitude of evil imo its truly impossible to word it in an appropriate way..

Nonetheless imo they quite likely are very accurate in the way the explain it.. In breaking it down it quite and very simply speaks for itself in that the weapon was discharged causing her death at the time the sexual assault was occurring.. For me there isn't any question of what that means.. I could care less whether his drunked up azz claims he discharged it on accident.. The point remains the same that he literally shot her during the commission of the rape..

If the weapon discharged the shot that caused her death before or after the commission of the assault it quite simply would have stated so.. Just as it did so state that sadly in this case it was discharged during the commission of this precious young woman being brutally assaulted by this monster..

I will say that while I very much understand family members "supporting" their loved one.. But I'm sorry Imo what took place in this small town today was far beyond "support".. Imo its a downright disgrace in the face of these young innocent victims and what their family member, the monster himself has admitted and described as having done to these innocent young souls.. For that family to yell out and hold up signs saying Danny's NOT GUILTY takes cruelty and evil to a whole new level.. Again this man who they're proclaiming love, support, and his innocence HAS ADMITTED TO THE HEINOUS EVIL ACTS THAT I DESCRIBED ABOVE..

How dare they attempt to thwart the only thing left that can be sought for these two beautiful lives..The two lives that this evil has spewed his hate, evil, rage onto in assaulting and slaughtering them.. How dare they attempt to thwart justice for the souls this evil abused, assaulted, and brutally murdered.. How dare they..

Imo if they have the nerve and the gall to continue this crusade for which they've started for this evil individual whose already admitted the assault and murders.. If they do imo then they will effectively tear that small town apart.. They will absolutely take their loved ones evil acts and literally rub the victims loved ones and the entire towns noses in the evil that their loved one alone has committed.. and it will bring down this town and community..

Not only at this time are my prayers for Jessica and Jacobs loved ones.. But tonight I pray even harder that God somehow, someway speak to Coston's family members, soften their hearts to what it really is that they are crusading for, and realize that absolutely no good, none, not even for their loved one can good come from what it is they are presently doing..

As a member of the LE agency that actually handled this case, this investigation, and worked these murder crime scenes of these two innocent young people having been savagely raped and murdered.. I cannot for even a single moment understand feeling compassion for the thing that committed these acts, but the Sheriff to actually offer it a pat on the back that obviously was as if to say," its gonna be ok".. Another token of support for not the victims or their devasted families who have nothing left of their beautiful loved ones but to seek justice on behalf of Jessi/Jake.. Actual public displays of affection coming from the Sheriff with a pat on the back of the monster that slaughtered these two innocents..

I ask.. Just what in the hell is going on in this small town?

 

[concernedmother]

He is going down.

 

[concernedmother]

If I were Wheeler or Evans family or friends I dont know if I could have restrained myself when his family were acting like that.

 

[Simp]

Ok guys,, long day at work, so I'm just now checking in. I will go back and read the articles when I'm not so exhausted, but will someone tell me did Coston enter a plea today?? I apologize that I haven't read the articles and I will read them but if someone will tell me that, I appreciate it. I have been following since day 1 and knew Coston "confessed" but I got confused when I read that his family held up something with "not guilty" written on it. If he didn't enter a plea today, when will he?? TIA

 

[concernedmother]

Simp nothing in the news about it and Im following all the Evansville media. I dont think he did.

 

[88keys]

who is that a picture of?

LOL...I don't know, but it is clearly not Danny Coston. Is that the picture that came up on their website?

Im reading IL doesnt have the DP.

Nope, thanks to one of our convicted criminal governors.

Illinois...where our governors make our license plates.