No-bail request denied for suspect in Jeffery Wilhite disappearance
Nov. 23—Randall Hogan, a man arrested and charged with murder last month in connection with the disappearance of Jeffery Wilhite, has been released from police custody after Cullman County Courts denied a no-bail request from District Attorney Champ Crocker.
Crocker attempted to invoke Aniah's Law, which adds a list of serious crimes other than capital offenses for which a defendant could be denied bail before trial, but was denied by Cullman Circuit Judge Martha Williams during a hearing Nov. 15.
"After careful consideration of the evidence presented, the Court does not find that denial of bond is not necessary in this case to ensure the defendant's appearance in Court or to protect the community safety," Williams' court document said.
Hogan's attorneys, Johnny Berry and Brandon Little, argued that despite Hogan's Grand Jury indictment, the prosecution had not produced sufficient evidence to hold Hogan without bond: "After numerous search warrants issued and served in this case, no direct evidence exist to suggest a murder has occurred. No forensic evidence, no DNA, no eye witness to a crime, no evidence of any crime even being committed and specifically, no body. No evidence has been located or presented to prove Mr. Hogan had anything to do with the alleged missing person."
The day after Williams denied Crocker's request, Hogan was arrested and charged with the assault of his niece, Kimberly Hogan McCravy, which allegedly occurred on April 7, 2023.
McCravy testified in the Aniah's Law hearing that while she was riding in a car with her uncle, he grabbed the hair on the back of her head and "slammed her head into the vehicle's dash board twice, with enough force to break her eye glasses, forcing them into her face, causing contusions and trauma to the area around her right eye," according to court documents.
The Times has not been able to verify whether McCravy reported the incident at the time it occurred. She filed a protection from abuse request against Hogan on Friday, the same day assault charges were filed.
According to the Cullman County Sheriff's Office, Hogan posted bond for both charges and was released from custody on Friday, Nov. 17. He will be required to wear an ankle monitor and adhere to a court ordered curfew.
Crocker has now filed a motion to reconsider the court's decision based on the testimonies provided by McCravy and others, including Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry and the investigation's lead investigator, Captain Phillip Harris.
Attempts to reach Gentry were unsuccessful and messages sent Monday, Nov. 20, were not responded to by press time.
According to court documents, Gentry testified Hogan has been labeled as a "threat to law enforcement" based on encounters between the two, one in which "he referred to a female deputy by a derogatory name and cursed her."
Gentry also testified Hogan sent him a text message threatening to harm Wilhite roughly a week before his disappearance.
Crocker also points to several highlights from Harris's testimony describing evidence gathered throughout his investigation. Harris testified Wilhite's cell phone's last noted location was a "small farm" where he worked as an employee of Hogan.
Court documents filed by Hogan's attorneys say Wilhite's girlfriend located his phone and truck at the farm prior to him being reported missing, according to the incident/offense report. The report also states Wilhite's girlfriend deleted a number of text messages and phone calls from his phone as well as removing a bag containing illegal drugs and paraphernalia allegedly belonging to Wilhite's girlfriend.
Harris also said a .45 caliber projectile was recovered from the "egg room" which matched a second projectile investigators recovered from a vehicle belonging to Jeff Dye, who has accused Hogan of discharging a firearm into the vehicle the day before Wilhite was reported missing.
CCSO director of communications Lieutenant Chad Whaley was unable to find an incident report or 911 call placed at the time of the alleged shooting due to being "locked out" of the case file earlier this month.
The complaint for the incident was filed on March 4, 2021, — nearly a year after it is said to have taken place — by Harris.
