Alabama man charged with murder in Tennessee disappearance

Published 11:15 am Monday, October 12, 2020

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CHATTANOOGA (AP) — An Alabama man has been charged with killing someone who disappeared in Tennessee four years ago, according to authorities.
William S. Whited, 38, of Bryant, Ala., was arrested in Chattanooga last week on charges of first-degree murder, felony murder and aggravated robbery in the slaying of Wesley Ridge, prosecutors announced Friday.
Investigators said they think Whited was the last person to see Ridge, 39, alive before he vanished from Marion County, Tenn., in March 2016, the Times Free Press reported.
Marion County sheriff’s officials met with prosecutors last month with new information in the case, and a grand jury later indicted Whited, Sheriff Ronnie Burnett said Friday.
Although the slaying was tied to Whited, formerly a person of interest in the case, Ridge’s body was never discovered, according to authorities.
The Times Free Press quoted 12th Judicial District Attorney General Mike Taylor as saying that detectives “built a substantial and solid case,” though he said he could not discuss the evidence presented to the grand jury.
It was not immediately clear why authorities believed Ridge had been killed.
Marion County Circuit Court officials said Whited did not yet have an attorney on record as of Friday.

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