Published: Monday, November 01, 2010, 5:48 AM
BAY MINETTE, Alabama -- Four co-defendants face amended charges in the wake of new indictments relating to the 2009 murder of a Silverhill man.
The indictments of three of the co-defendants were returned by a September grand jury and were filed in Baldwin Circuit Court on Oct. 25.
Keishjuan Betts, Amber Darlene Jerkins, Danny Weaver and Amen Wellock all face capital murder-robbery charges in the death of Robert Aitcheson, who was stabbed in his mobile home that was set on fire after the assault.
Betts, Jerkins and Danny Weaver were also charged with first-degree arson in their 2009 indictments. The arson charges for Betts and Jerkins were upgraded to capital murder-arson, court documents show.
Wellock’s second charge in the previous indictment was conspiracy to commit murder. Last week’s four-count indictment adds capital murder-arson and includes a separate count of conspiracy for each murder charge.
Arraignments for Betts, Jerkins and Wellock are scheduled for Nov. 19, according to court documents.
An updated indictment on Weaver could not be readily found, but District Attorney Judy Newcomb on Friday said the first-degree arson charge against him has also been amended to capital murder-arson. She indicated that his arraignment is also expected in November.
The amended charges were prompted after the trial of Aitcheson’s son, Ian Aitcheson, who was convicted in March of murder and first-degree arson and sentenced in May to two consecutive life terms. According to Newcomb, jury comments provided insight that the case for the arson seemed stronger than the case for robbery. The adjusted charges for the co-defendants now better reflect the evidence, she said.
An appeal of Ian Aitcheson’s case was filed in September. Attorney Rusty Pigott said last month that it may be six to nine months before the Court of Criminal Appeals rules in the case.
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