A Cullman County grand jury has dismissed 58 felony cases previously investigated by the Hanceville Police Department, ruling that the cases could not be prosecuted due to misconduct by former officers.
According to WHNT News 19, District Attorney Champ Crocker announced the dismissals in early May, stating that the cases were rendered “unprosecutable” following a months-long investigation into the department’s handling of evidence. The grand jury, which had previously indicted several former Hanceville officers, reconvened in April and voted to “no-bill” the cases—effectively declining to pursue charges in any of them.
Related: Five Hanceville police officers arrested in connection to dispatcher’s overdose death
“Most of these cases involved drugs, and only a few were personal crimes with victims,” Crocker said, adding that “one dismissal is too many, but the Grand Jury had no other recourse.”
The ruling followed an audit by the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), which uncovered serious deficiencies in the department’s evidence room. According to the audit, 249 pieces of evidence lacked case numbers, 78 evidence bags were unsealed or torn open, and dozens of firearms and quantities of drugs were undocumented or missing.
The SBI’s findings played a significant role in the grand jury’s decision, which also included a determination that former officers’ actions had fundamentally undermined the credibility of the investigations. The jury’s report characterized the department’s internal practices as negligent and inadequate to ensure justice.
The broader investigation into the Hanceville Police Department began in response to the August 2024 death of dispatcher Christopher Willingham, who was found to have died from an accidental overdose. That incident prompted a multi-agency probe, ultimately leading to multiple arrests within the department and an overhaul of local law enforcement oversight.
As of May, the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office continues to provide policing services for the city of Hanceville while local officials work toward rebuilding the department.
Sherri Blevins is a writer for Mountain Valley News and a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
