ANCHORAGE – The Ninth Circuit Courtroom of Appeals has upheld James Wells’ homicide convictions which have been handed down by a trial jury in October 2019 for the April 2012 murders of two U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) staff, Electrician’s Mate First Class James Hopkins and retired Chief Boatswain’s Mate Richard Belisle at a United States Coast Guard base on Kodiak Island, Alaska.
In February 2013, Wells was arrested for the murders of Hopkins and Belisle, who have been each Wells’ co-workers on the USCG antenna upkeep facility, situated on the USCG Communication Station (COMMSTA) on Kodiak Island. Wells was convicted in 2014 and the case was reversed for retrial by the Ninth Circuit Courtroom of Appeals in December 2017. After a three-week retrial that resulted in October 2019, a federal jury shortly convicted Wells of two counts of first-degree homicide, two counts of homicide of an officer or worker of the USA and two counts of possession and use of a firearm in relation to a criminal offense of violence. Wells appealed. In a ruling issued final week, the Ninth Circuit Courtroom of Appeals upheld Wells’ homicide convictions, thus Wells sentence of life imprisonment stays in place. The court docket of appeals issued two separate rulings: 1) affirming the convictions and dismissing Wells’ arguments for a brand new trial and a pair of) the court docket remanded the sentencing court docket’s resolution on valuing how restitution to the spouses of the boys Wells murdered can be paid, together with upholding that Wells interview by investigators was finished lawfully.
“The court docket’s ruling, solidly affirming Wells two homicide convictions at trial, places an finish to this saga for the wives of Messrs. Belisle and Hopkins, the colleagues of the murdered males, the group of Kodiak and the USA Coast Guard,” mentioned U.S. Lawyer S. Lane Tucker. “Justice has been served. James Wells took the stand and tried to elucidate away what he did that day, a proof that was shortly rejected by the trial jury and by the court docket of appeals. Wells will spend the remainder of his life in jail for the homicide of those two males.”
“We’re all relieved to convey last closure on this heinous and heartless crime. Our hearts proceed to exit to the households and family members of the victims, and to the group of Kodiak for having the energy to endure this prolonged course of,” mentioned Paul Shultz, CGIS Particular Agent in Cost, CGIS Northwest Area.
“I am pleased with the trial staff’s tireless efforts within the pursuit of justice on behalf of the Hopkins and Belisle households. Now with the Appellate Courtroom’s resolution, comes a way of some closure for all,” mentioned Particular Agent in Cost Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Area Workplace.
Proof at trial established that on April 12, 2012, between 7:09 a.m. and seven:14 a.m., Wells had shot and killed Hopkins and Belisle with a .44 revolver whereas working at their responsibility stations within the Rigger Store at COMMSTA. First responders famous no proof of a break-in or theft and each males seemed to be victims of a focused killing. Wells was attributable to arrive on the Rigger Store the identical time as Hopkins and Belisle, however as an alternative left two cellphone messages for Hopkins and Belisle, famous to be after the victims’ time of demise, stating Wells was operating late attributable to a flat tire. Wells arrived to the Rigger Store over an hour after his regular begin time, instantly claiming to have had a flat tire.
USCG safety movies captured Wells passing the Fundamental Gate at Base Kodiak at 6:48 a.m. in his white Dodge truck on his means towards the Kodiak Airport, and returning towards his residence at 7:22 a.m. Nevertheless, a small blue SUV, owned by Wells, was captured on USCG safety movies passing the Rigger Store entrance entrance. The proof confirmed Wells drove his white Dodge truck to the airport, the place he swapped autos and drove Nancy Wells’ blue Honda CR-V to COMMSTA to commit the murders. There was a 34-minute time period for which James Wells couldn’t account and that unexplained discrepancy captured the eye of the interviewing brokers. Moreover, a tire with a nail in it was seized and thru intensive testing, the examiner concluded that the nail had been manually inserted into the tire, undermining the muse of Wells’ alibi that he had picked up a nail whereas driving to work on the morning of the murders.
At Wells’ sentencing listening to after the second trial in 2019, U.S. District Choose Sharon L. Gleason made particular findings for the document that Wells threatened or unlawfully interfered with witnesses and that in the course of the trial, Wells testified on a number of events in a “materially false method.” The ruling of the Ninth Circuit equally discovered that Wells’ alibi at trial was not credible.
“I wish to thank all of our associate companies that have been concerned within the prosecution of this case by way of the last decade of sentencing, retrial, and appeals,” mentioned Rear Adm. Nathan Moore, 17th Coast Guard District, Commander. “Your continued dedication to this case ensured justice was met, and that James’ and Richard’s family members and our Coast Guard household can transfer one step nearer to closure.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) performed the investigation resulting in the profitable prosecution of this case, with assist from the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), and the Alaska State Troopers (AST).
In 2019 the Deputy Legal Chief Steven Skrocki prosecuted the case together with Assistant U.S. Lawyer Christina Sherman, and U.S. Coast Guard Commander Kelly Stevens, who was appointed as a Particular Assistant U.S. Lawyer.
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