John Wesley Akin: From Habitat to Heroin - 12/24 Update

From 2013:

John Wesley Akin, 25, graduated from Birmingham Southern College in May 2010 with a Bachelor's Degree in Economics and Business Administration. Akin’s resume’ claims a 3.6 GPA and memberships in enough honor societies to field a basketball team. Among his charitable endeavors was work with Habitat for Humanity and Urban Ministries.

The first indication the public gleaned of John Wesley Akin's fall from golden boy was in 2011 when he robbed an outdoor shop. Then in June 2013, Akin's actions took a much more sinister turn:

Akin, who lists his residence as 529 North Seminary Street in the University District, and David Ros, also of Florence, were arrested in Morgan County on Monday for trafficking in heroin. This isn’t Akin’s first criminal rodeo. In May 2011, he was arrested for burglarizing Alabama Outdoors in its former location on Courtwalk. From pilfering ladies’ jackets, Akin has risen to become what some are calling a key player in the North Alabama heroin trade.

Akin lists his current employment as a sales representative for a Shoals communication firm. It seems likely his future may hold a career in license plate manufacture.

If found guilty, what kind of sentence may Akin expect? According to this, at least 15 years with no good time or parole:

In the State of Alabama, drug trafficking is selling drugs over certain threshold amounts that are different for each type of drug. They include:

More than 2.2 pounds of marijuana
At least 28 grams of cocaine or a mixture containing cocaine
At least four grams of heroin, morphine, opium or other opiates
Five hundred or more pills of hydromorphone (Dilaudid, Palladone)
At least 28 grams of 3,4-methylenedioxy amphetamine (Ecstasy, MDMA)
Four grams or more of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)
At least 28 grams of amphetamine, methamphetamine or related drugs

Punishments vary according to the amount, from three years to life without parole, plus heavy fines starting at $50,000. Possession of a firearm while violating this law adds five years to the sentence. If there is any prior felony on your record, you face an enhanced sentence of at least 15 years to life, as a “habitual felony offender.” These are mandatory minimum sentences that don’t allow early parole or time off for good behavior, and they cannot be suspended, deferred or withheld unless the defendant helps the state arrest or convict co-conspirators.

In addition, the state may charge you with involvement in a drug trafficking enterprise if you had a managerial role in a group of at least five other people who trafficked in drugs, and you earned more than the minimum wage by doing so. That charge carries a penalty of 25 years to life for the first offense.

Another arrest quickly followed in July:

John Wesley Akin of Florence was arrested on July 8th in Morgan County and charged with heroin trafficking. Authorities say a member of Akin’s immediate family provided bond for the 25 year old Birmingham Southern graduate. Now sources in Florida have stated that on July 16th, Akin was arrested in Ft. Walton Beach for the fraudulent use of a credit card. Akin remains in the Walton County Jail, and sources say if he should make bond in Florida, he will be returned to Morgan County and held without bail. PNS has also learned that Akin was free on bond in Lauderdale County at the time of his trafficking arrest. Florence police had arrested Akin on May 20th of this year for the possession and use of drug paraphernalia.

A bail jumping charge followed in January 2014:

John Wesley Akin, currently under arrest/indictment for several drug trafficking charges in Alabama and Florida, has been arrested again in the Shoals. Akin, 25, was arrested on November 14th for Second Degree Bail Jumping. The charge relates to a defendant not showing up on the appointed court date and may prove to be the least of Akin’s worries. The reputed heroin trafficker remains free on bond at this time.

In May, Akin went missing for 24 hours. His family issued a plea for any help in finding him, and he was soon located and allowed to remain out of jail on bond. A month later, Akin was arrested again...this time for trafficking:

John Wesley Akin of Florence is currently under indictment in Florida and two counties in Alabama for theft, fraudulent use of a credit card, and…the biggie…heroin trafficking. Akin, 26, was arrested again early this morning on the outskirts of Greenbriar Subdivision in Florence and charged with possession of heroin and drug paraphernalia. Authorities say once the heroin, all stored in small plastic bags, is weighed, Akin may face another charge of trafficking. He currently faces a sentence of 25 years day for day with no possibility of parole or work release.

FPD now says the charge against Akin is indeed trafficking. The sentence, if Akin is found guilty, would be determined by the amount of heroin found and previous convictions. There is no plea bargaining in trafficking cases, and Akin could expect a sentence for this charge to range between three years and life.

The FPD Statement:

“A Florence Man has been arrested and charged with Trafficking in Heroin. Florence Police have arrested John Wesley Akin, 26, of Florence after patrol Sgt. Randal Holt conducted a traffic stop for traffic violations early this morning. While investigating the traffic violations, officers discovered a large amount of heroin in the possession of Akin. Officers and drug agents also located paraphernalia in Akin’s vehicle. Akin is currently being held in the Lauderdale County Detention Center on $26,000 bond.”

In October, Akin received his first sentence in connection with the heroin charges:

John Wesley Akin of Florence has been sentenced to 15 years for trafficking in less than 14 grams of heroin in Morgan County. He also is serving two lesser sentences from Lauderale County. He is currently in the Limestone Correctional Facility and is still awaiting trial for heroin trafficking in Florence. The current projected release date for the 26 year old Akin is October 14, 2019–meaning he is currently receiving Correctional Incentive Time.

It would be over a year later before Akin was sentenced in Lauderdale County. From December 2015:

John Wesley Akin, 27, accepted a 20 year plea deal on drug trafficking charges on December 8th, 2015. Akin is currently serving a 17 year sentence in the Limestone Correctional Facility on similar charges in Morgan County. Sentenced as a habitual offender for a Class A felony, the Florence man will not be eligible for correctional incentive time, but will be eligible for parole under new sentencing guidelines. If he serves his entire sentence for heroin/drug trafficking, Akin will be 47 when he leaves prison in 2035.

By January 2016, Akin was back in Limestone:

According to the Alabama Department of Corrections, John Wesley Akin has been granted a “jail time credit” of 545 days to be applied to his newest two concurrent sentences for drug trafficking. Akin’s new scheduled release date is July 5, 2034. Akin is also eligible for parole at some point; however, a date has not yet been set.

As this is published in Shoals Crime, Akin still has no parole date set. His Lauderdale sentence of 20 years was for possession; however, his Morgan sentence was for trafficking, meaning no parole consideration until at least 2029. Akin's family has the money to hire the best parole attorneys, so almost anything is possible.

At this point, John Wesley Akin has been incarcerated in jail and the Limestone Correctional Facility for three and a half years. What he will be like at the end of 15 is anyone's guess.

From December 2018: John Wesley Akin, 30, is now in the custody of a halfway house where, according to probation authorities, he must spend one year. Akin was granted the conditional parole on March 13th of this year after serving only five years of his 20 year sentence.

According to the state, Akin is closely supervised and is not allowed to live or travel on his own. Until the parole, Akin has been serving his sentence for heroin trafficking at the Limestone Correctional Facility. Inmates are usually required to serve slightly over seven years of a 20 year sentence before being eligible for such programs.

*****

Sadly, all didn't go well for Akin. According to friends, the newly minted parolee told them he was free from almost all restrictions. This in itself should have raised some red flags somewhere, but apparently didn't.

January 2021: According to law enforcement, John Wesley (Wes) Akin was taken into custody on January 14th, charged with a parole violation. The now 33 year old Akin remains in the Lauderdale County Detention Center as of Friday morning.

No more details have been released concerning the violation, but Akin could either serve a relatively short "dip" in the county jail and be released or be returned to prison if his infraction is deemed more serious. His end of sentence is officially July 5, 2034.

March 2021: John Wesley Akin is again a free man after serving a 45 day dunk in the Lauderdale County Detention Center. Sources told Shoals Crime that a Lauderdale County Judge is hoping this dunk will be the deterrent the young man needs to keep on the right path. A spokesperson with the state parole system indicated some parolees are allowed up to three dips/dunks before being returned to finish their entire sentence.

Again, family and friends are left with only hope.

*****

December 2024: After 45-day dunks in February 2021, May 2021, and August 2024, Wes Akin was returned to the Alabama prison system on December 12, 2024. According to the DOC, Akin was classified as a "Recaptured Parole Violator."

The former heroin dealer was transferred in the early morning hours from the Lauderdale County Detention Center to Kilby Receiving outside Montgomery. He will again be eligible for parole on October 1, 2029. If John Wesley Akin fails to make parole, his end of sentence will be May 8, 2036. He will be 48 years old.

Gene Weems: Missing & Declared Dead

 

On Thursday, June 5, 1997, Robert Eugene Weems walked away from his home on Julian Street in Petersville around 9:00 p.m. and has never officially been seen again. Gene lived with his family who told Lauderdale County investigators that the missing man had left behind identification, money, and medicine. While it wasn't unusual for the bi-polar 30 year-old to leave his home when stressed, it was out of character for him to remain away for a lengthy period of time.

On Sunday, June 8th, there was a credible sighting of Gene walking along Cox Creek Parkway between North Wood Avenue and Jackson Road. Since the young man had been known to walk in that area before, the Weems family felt this was a good place to begin a ground search.

At that time, Lauderdale County had a "Crisis Action Team," and six members volunteered to search the wooded areas around that section of the parkway on Monday, June 23rd. The timing meant that early Summer vegetation was at its peak, and members were hampered by impassable areas. At the end of the day, no sign of Gene Weems had been found. Searchers continued with a water search of Cypress Creek the next day, but again turned up nothing.

During this time frame, authorities were made aware of two possible out-of-state sightings - one in Mississippi and one in Savannah, Tennessee; however, detectives were never able to associate the transients with Gene. While local authorities continued to keep the case open, new information was not forthcoming.

In September 2006, Willard Eugene (Bill) Weems had his son declared dead. Bill died four years later without any news of his son who would now be 56. Gene Weems' name still has a place on the State of Alabama missing persons list - No. Laud00952, which identifies him as endangered and is one of its oldest cases.

Was Robert Eugene Weems the victim of an actual crime? That's something we may never know.

Murder on the Joe Wheeler Plantation

 

Murder at Pond Spring tells the story of the May 3, 1871, murder of Dandridge Thompson Galey (Gailey) by the brother-in-law of Gen. Joe Wheeler. The account is written by Mike Walker, a descendant of the victim.

The book is a private printing with only a few copies remaining. For purchasing information, you may contact the author via his Facebook page:

Mike Walker

Three Years to Identify Her Body

 

Courtney Vivian Staggs, mother of five, was living on Piedmont Street in Florence when she went missing in 2020. Also known as Courtney Barrett, the 35 year-old sometimes called herself "Hot Alabama Girl" online. 

From the Florence Police Department on August 18, 2020: Courtney Staggs was last seen Monday (8/10/2020) in the Florence, AL area. Courtney is 5'05" with green eyes and brown hair. She was last seen wearing a black shirt and black pants with sandals. 

The Florence woman's last sighting was near the 600 block of East Irvine Avenue where she had been visiting a client who stated she appeared normal when she left. Due to certain aspects of her last known hours, she was listed as endangered.

There was no further news of Courtney until October when her EBT card was found in Lil Caesar's Pizza in Florence Plaza. Despite the find, no CCTV cameras picked up either Courtney or anyone who could possibly have been using the card.

Then, in November, hunters found the remains of a female body in a wooded area off Jarmon Lane. After viewing items found with the body, family members believed the deceased was Courtney, but needed to wait for DNA confirmation. A daughter provided her DNA for testing, and the wait began.

The body was initially sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences which failed to make a positive identification. From there, the body traveled to the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia.

On May 20, 2024, the Colbert County Sheriff's Office received word that the remains definitely belonged to Courtney, and a death certificate was issued on May 22nd. Her family held a memorial service on May 31st, but for Colbert Sheriff Eric Balentine, the work was just beginning.

Balentine has indicated that he expects the case to go swiftly at this point. He has persons of interest, as well as statements linking them to Staggs' last hours. While Courtney's family awaits an arrest, one relative expressed thanks for a major hurdle in the case: Courtney Vivian Staggs is now buried beside her mother.

"Frankie Shot Me"

When Reynolds Alloys shuttered a large part of its Colbert County operations, the aluminum foil giant gave employees a chance to work at one of its many other facilities. One employee who took the company up on its relocation offer was Ewell Wells Bridges. Unfortunately, Bridges' wife Frankie wasn't as enamored of Hot Springs, Arkansas, as her husband. Frankie Stovall Bridges initially thought her husband's transfer would be short-lived, but by 1986, Ewell was in his seventh year at the Arkansas plant. 

Thus began the commuter era of the Bridges' marriage; for years Ewell lived in a small lake house in Hot Springs, traveling each weekend home to Frankie in Tuscumbia. Such arrangements often take a toll on even the strongest unions, and, according to Garland County homicide detectives, the Bridges' marriage was no exception.

On May 24, 1986, Ewell Bridges' next door neighbor in Arkansas heard shots and the sound of breaking glass. Thinking that teenagers were shooting at bottles, Charles Chippola left his trailer and began looking for the hooligans. Instead of rowdy teens, Chippola discovered broken glass in front of Bridges' cottage. Inside he found the then 49 year-old Ewell lying on the floor, shot twice and bleeding profusely from his neck and torso.

After calling police, Chippola knelt by Bridges, asking who was responsible. According to Charles, Bridges, who was actively dying, used his last breath to say "Frankie shot me."

Chippola then reported seeing a large African-American woman he believed to be Frankie Bridges exit the small cottage. Buela Chippola, Charles' wife, testified that she had been outside the cottage and saw a woman run from Bridges' home and leave in a small Mercury or Maverick.

Frankie Bridges, a Coffee High School science teacher at the time of the shooting, had retained Florence attorney Don Holt as her primary advocate in the Arkansas trial. When Holt questioned Charles Chippola, the neighbor admitted that he had changed some basic details of his testimony since the night of the shooting. Holt contended that Frankie Bridges was visiting a cousin in Muscle Shoals the night of Ewell's death and could not possibly have shot her husband. The defense offered up the theory of a robbery gone wrong, while some speculated that the woman seen leaving the cottage was Ewell Bridges' spurned lover.

Holt then called Frankie Bridges to the stand. Frankie, who by the 1987 trial was no longer employed by the Florence City School System, testified that she was grading papers at the Muscle Shoals home of her cousin the night of her husband's murder. She further stated she had never owned a Mercury or Maverick and had no reason to want her husband dead. 

Did the jury believe Frankie's version of her relationship with her husband at the time of his murder, or did they believe Ewell's alleged dying declaration? It seems the 12 jurors were at a loss as to who was telling the truth and announced that they could not settle on a verdict. The Garland County district attorney later announced he would not try the case a second time.

Today, the 83 year-old Frankie Stovall Bridges lives in Chandler, Arizona. And Charles Chippola? Did he really hear Ewell Bridges incriminate Frankie? We'll consign that question to one of life's mysteries.