Authorities file charges in Morgan Co. double murder

Blaine Hill, Melva Hudson and Debbie Bonner
Blaine Hill, Melva Hudson and Debbie Bonner
Win, Hani and Michael Thompson
Win, Hani and Michael Thompson

A Jefferson City couple and an Eldon man have been charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the deaths Monday of Carol and Freddie Wilson south of Versailles.

Charged on Tuesday were Garland Mitchell, 45, Jefferson City; Mandy Mitchell, 28, Jefferson City; and Derrell Spellmeyer, 43, Eldon.

According to the Morgan County Sheriff's Department, a female caller called the sheriff's department about 11 a.m. Monday to report that she had been shot in the head.

Deputies responded to the scene, 12931 Dorsey Lane, which is south of Versailles near Route TT.

While traveling south on Missouri 5, a detective encountered a white van traveling north. The van swerved across the road, hitting the detective's vehicle. The van then traveled to the side of the road.

Deputies took the three subjects - Spellmeyer and Garland and Mandy Mitchell - into custody at the accident scene.

A small .32-caliber handgun was recovered, along with a bottle of hydrocodone belonging to Carol Wilson and a .32-caliber casing in Spellmeyer's front pocket.

Spellmeyer had blood on his hands and clothing.

When deputies arrived at the Wilsons' residence, they found the couple appeared to have suffered gunshot and stabbing wounds.

In interviews with investigators, Spellmeyer admitted he shot the gun, saying, "They made me do it."

He later admitted to being in the Wilsons' home and inflicting knife wounds on Freddie Wilson.

Investigators later spoke with Mandy and Garland Mitchell. The Mitchells said they drove Spellmeyer to the residence to obtain drugs, and that Spellmeyer went inside.

Spellmeyer returned to the vehicle with a gun in his hand and had blood on his hands and clothing.

The Mitchells said they then fled the scene.

STORY FILED 12:33 P.M.

Charges have been filed against three people in connection with a double murder in Morgan County.

Garland Mitchell, 45, Jefferson City, Derrell Dean Spellmeyer, 43, Eldon and Mandy Mitchell, 28, Jefferson City, are each charged with two counts of second-degree murder and armed criminal action

The victims, 66-year-old Freddy Wilson and his wife, 53-year-old Carol Wilson, were found dead Monday in their home south of the central Missouri town of Versailles (vur-SAYLZ').

The sheriff says one of the victims called 911 Monday morning to report they had been shot.

A deputy responding the scene had to veer into a ditch to avoid an oncoming white van. The van then ran into the ditch.


STORY FILED MONDAY ....

Authorities took three people into custody Monday while investigating a double homicide in Morgan County.

Sheriff Jim Petty identified the victims as Carol and Freddie Wilson of the Versailles area.

Sheriff's department reports show a woman called 911 around 11:05 a.m., saying she had been shot.

Deputies and a state trooper rushed to the home south of Versailles.

The first deputy to arrive saw a white van before finding that a man and a woman had been shot.

While responding to the scene, another deputy had to veer into a ditch to avoid an oncoming white van. This was about three miles from the crime scene on Missouri 5. The deputy's side view mirror was knocked off before the van ran into the ditch, too.

Afterward, one female and two male suspects were taken into custody.

The names of the suspects were not released pending the filing of formal charges, but Petty said they were all from the Eldon area.

Petty said he could not discuss what might have been the motive for the killings.

"I can say that the victims and the suspects knew each other," he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.