John Welles Murder Case: Who Killed Him and Why?

John Welles Murder

John Welles Murder, How Did He Die? Who Killed John Welles? Let’s find out the answers. When John Welles was slain on July 8, 2003, he was 17 years old.

In 2003, the inhabitants of Arcadia, Florida, witnessed a gruesome murder when police discovered John Welles’ body in a ditch. The 17-year-old was last seen at 11:30 a.m. on July 8, 2003, but he vanished soon after, and the case became a homicide within hours.

Season 4 of ‘CounterClock‘ documents John’s death and takes the listener through the police investigation, which attempts to solve the case. Let’s go into the case’s details and learn more, shall we?

Must See: Where Is John Welles’ Grandmother Pat Strader Now?

Who killed John Welles

What Caused John Welles’ Death?

John Welles, a cheerful 17-year-old high school student, was adored by both his friends and family. Friends and acquaintances praised John’s generosity, saying he was always willing to lend a helping hand or make a new friend. Furthermore, being a gifted student, John aspired to join the Coast Guard after finishing his education.

The adolescent was also an active member of the Fort Ogden Methodist Church and lived in Arcadia, Florida, with his family. John went to the local Walmart store for some shopping on July 8, 2003, but came home around 11:30 p.m. Surprisingly, he went missing and appeared to evaporate into thin air shortly after. A huge group quickly gathered at the Welles residence and began searching the surrounding surroundings for the teenager.

John’s grandma, Pat, on the other hand, called 911 and reported her grandson missing. Following that, John’s body was discovered floating inside a watery ditch near Joshua Creek, in an unexpected turn of events. The vehicle in which the victim was driving was also found nearby.

Despite the fact that witnesses quickly alerted authorities to the site, it took the police almost 24 hours to get involved in the investigation. Unfortunately, by that time, the crime scene had been damaged, and evidence had been taken that could have proved critical.

Despite this, police initially concluded John had fallen into the water by accident, banged his head on a piece of metal, and drowned. However, an examination quickly revealed that John had a bullet lodged in his head, and officials realised they were dealing with a homicide case.

Who Killed John Welles and What was the Reason?

Because there were no eyewitnesses or adequate leads to follow, the original inquiry into John’s murder took a long time. Despite the fact that law enforcement officers went through multiple interviews and searched for witnesses, most paths led nowhere, and investigators were back at square one.

According to the podcast, detectives learned that John’s grandmother, Pat, had taken some evidence from the crime site before the police arrived after asking around for quite some time. She was also one of the three people that discovered the victim’s body in Joshua Creek for the first time. Pat, on the other hand, maintained her innocence and stated she had nothing to do with the crime when questioned.

In addition to Pat, the police investigated two other main suspects, Skip, Pat’s stepson, and Patrick Skinner, John’s buddy. Patrick Skinner explained how John’s relationship with Skip had been tumultuous in the days leading up to his death, according to the podcast. Furthermore, Skinner mentioned finding a loaded revolver alongside John’s truck, just a few feet from the ditch where John’s body was discovered.

Skinner was unable to tell whether the gun had a full magazine or a single bullet missing due to his enthusiasm, but the firearm was eventually hidden from police detectives. Investigators, on the other hand, couldn’t get anywhere with Skip since he flatly denied being engaged in the crime and was adamant about his innocence.

Investigators sought to come up with other explanations about the homicide in the months that followed, and they quickly discovered that John was involved in a land dispute. Despite the possibility that this was a motive for the murder, authorities were never able to link the incident to John’s death.

Surprisingly, in 2006, the police had an unexpected breakthrough when a teen named Sara came to them and said she had information regarding John’s death. Sara admitted to having a violent relationship with her 19-year-old boyfriend, Kevin Callahan, who knew how John was slain, when questioned. Kevin never openly confessed, but he did tell Sara that he possessed a revolver with a bullet that matched the one found in John’s head.

This looked like a decent enough lead to pursue, but according to the podcast, investigators never gave it much thought. According to the podcast, a second autopsy report said that the revolver fell out of John’s holster when he tried to dismount from his car, struck a piece of metal, and accidentally discharged, shooting the victim in the head, 14 years after his murder. Furthermore, the report was analysed by a forensic pathologist and a firearms reconstruction expert, both of whom came to the same conclusion.

As a result, the cause of John’s death was changed to an accident, and the homicide inquiry was halted. John is still thought to have died as a result of an accidental firearm discharge, and no one has been accused or arrested.

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