OZARK - John Charles Spellman is back behind bars as he sits in the Dale County Jail awaiting possible extradition to Florida.
Spellman made headlines in October of 1984 for his arrest in the 1983 kidnapping and murder of Cynthia Wuolukka. He was subsequently convicted of murder in September of 1985. After 18 years in prison, Spellman was released on an overturned conviction. Despite the release of Spellman in the 1983 murder case, a grand jury indictment remains active, meaning the state of Alabama possesses the right to retry Spellman at any time.
Spellman’s most recent troubles began on March 16 when he was arrested in Panama City, Fla., and charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of GHB, otherwise known as the "Date Rape Drug."
Spellman bonded out of jail and is still waiting to face those charges. He found himself back behind Alabama bars after a police officer discovered during a routine traffic stop that warrants had been issued for him in Bay County, Fla., for non-related charges.
He was pulled over in Level Plains for a traffic violation on Aug. 20, and according to Geneva/Dale County District Attorney Kirke Adams, Spellman provided a false name to the police officer, giving the name of Terry Spellman.
"Upon further investigation, Level Plains police discovered that it was not Terry Spellman and he was charged with providing a false name to law enforcement," Adams said. "They investigated further and found that it was John Charles Spellman and that’s when they discovered the warrants on him."
The current warrants are not related to the possession charges Spellman is facing, but are out of Bay County, Fla., in connection with charges of aggravated stalking, burglary of a residence, and violation of a protection order.
Adams did not confirm who the alleged victim is in the current warrants, but did say that all three crimes involved the same victim. Spellman’s most recent girlfriend filed the protection order against him.
Last spring, Spellman’s wife, (Angela Tess Spellman) was reported missing and later found dead. A grand jury did not bring an indictment in that case due to a lack of determination as to the cause of death because the decomposition of the body had reached a point where a cause of death could not be determined.
Spellman faced District Court Judge Stan Garner Jr. Monday morning, in the Dale County Courthouse, for a first hearing regarding his extradition to Florida.
According to Adams, Spellman immediately began professing his innocence, at which time Garner informed him that it was not the right time for admissions of guilt or pleas of innocence.
Garner was simply presiding over an extradition hearing, informing the suspect of his rights and concluded the hearing by matching Florida’s current $30,000 bond and setting another hearing in 30 days to review Spellman’s status.
Spellman has the option to fight extradition, which will ultimately leave him in the Dale County Jail for an unforeseen length of time, or he can cooperate fully with Florida law enforcement officials, at which time he will be transported back to Bay County to face the charges against him.
Garner will also review Florida’s action in 30 days to ensure they are either acting on the extradition or not. Adams said that the last information he received was that Florida was already initiating the extradition process.