Three plead guilty, two await trial in Wilkes murder case

WEDOWEE–Three men charged with capital murder in the death of Terrance Wilkes and the assault on Jasper Buchannan pleaded guilty in a Wedowee courtroom last Thursday.

Wilkes, a 17-year-old Wadley football standout, took a fatal shot to the neck near the softball field on Cooledge Street in Wadley Nov. 25, 2006, the first homicide in the small town since 1995.

During a December, 2006 preliminary hearing, five defendants, four vehicles, two victims and at least four firearms came into play. Testimony indicated the shootings were drug related over territory, but Randolph County Sheriff’s Investigator Greg Dendinger said there was no information Wilkes was selling drugs. There there was information the others involved in the incident were, he said.

Pleading guilty to felony murder, which unlike capital murder does not carry the death penalty, and assault first degree before Circuit Judge Tom Young were: Concoryen Charles Askew, 22, of Milltown; Curtis Anthony Johnson, 22, and Sylvester Salone Johnson, 21, both of Daviston. All five defendants have been in the Randolph County Jail since shortly after Wilkes’ homicide.

Young sentenced them to life in prison on the murder charge and 10 years on the assault charge.

Still facing capital murder and assault charges are: Rodney Woodgett 26, of Wadley, and Jermaine Jackson, 29, of Wedowee. The fall criminal court term starts Oct. 19. Jones said it is possible they may plead before then.

The shootout on Cooledge Street wounding Wilkes and his cousin, Buchannan, shocked the small community. The town was proud of Wilkes, who was expected to play college football after high school.

Buchannan told investigators he was talking to someone and did not pay any attention to the sound of gunfire because it was not an unusual sound but when a shot hit his windshield he ran and was shot in the back, Dendinger said in the preliminary hearing. He also said his information was that Buchannan did not have a gun. Terrance Wilkes’ brother, Paul, Eric Seymour and Milton Buchanan, Jasper’s brother, denied having a weapon.

Due to the pleas the defendants will quickly be moved to prison and there will be no appeal, said Fifth Judicial District Attorney E. Paul Jones.

He is satisfied with the pleas and said he this is certainly the kind of punishment that he hopes will act as a deterrent to other young men.

Pleading the cases helped clear up the docket, Jones said. A capital murder case is a lengthy trial from jury selection to the separate penalty phase if the person if found guilty.