INDICTED WITH COUPLE IN BURNING OF VEHICLE WITH POSSIBLE MISSING PIKE COUNTY MAN’S BODY INSIDE; POLICE NOW BELIEVE HOMICIDE HAPPENED IN FLOYD COUNTY
FOURTH PERSON QUESTIONED IN CONNECTION WITH THE CRIMINAL CASE, BUT NOT CHARGED FOR NOW, BUT REMAINS IN PIKE COUNTY DETENTION CENTER ON OTHER CRIMINAL CHARGES.
A second Pikeville woman, along another woman and a man who were original suspects have been indicted in Pike County on charges related to the arson burning of a car with the possible remains of a missing Pikeville man inside of it, The Appalachian News/Express reported yesterday.
According to Pike County court documents, Eric DeLeon, 33, of Nicholasville, and Krystale Williams, 33, of Pikeville, were indicted on charges related to the burning of a vehicle belonging to Henry Hook, of Pikeville, the father of Wesley Hook, who has been missing since mid-June. Police found human remains inside of the vehicle and authorities believe the remains, which have not yet been positively identified, to be those of Wesley Hook.
A first degree robbery charge was dismissed by a Pike County judge earlier this month
Also indicted in the case was Sky Nicole Smallwood, 37, of Pikeville.
Eric DeLeon was indicted on charges of second-degree arson, abuse of a corpse and first-degree tampering with physical evidence. Crystal Williams and Sky Smallwood were indicted each on charges of abuse of a corpse and second-degree tampering with physical evidence.
Police found Henry Hook’s burned vehicle July 3 in the Robinson Creek area, Pikeville Police spokesperson Officer Tony Conn has said. Officials said Wesley Hook was known to have driven the vehicle. Wesley Hook was reported missing after having last been seen June 10.
A fourth person, Enos E. Little, 47, of Lexington, has been questioned by police in the case, but no formal charges have been filed against him in relation to the case. Enos Little is being held in the Pike County Detention Center in Pikeville after he was denied bond on other criminal charges.
Both Eric Deleon and Krystle Williams are also being held at the PCDC on $70,000 full cash bond for each of the pair
Sky Smallwood has yet to be located by Pike County law enforcement officials, with investigators believing she maybe somewhere in Tennessee.
THE PROBABLE HOMICIDE NOW BEING INVESTIGATED AS OCCURRING IN FLOYD COUNTY
The Pikeville Police Department held a press conference July 13 to announce the developments of the investigation into the disappearance of Wesley Hook, 30, just days after officers confirmed that possible human remains had been found in a burned vehicle which belonged to Hook’s father, The Appalachian News Express posted.
The remains, according to Pikeville Police Public Information Officer Tony Conn, have not been positively identified to be Hook, the paper said.
The remains were transported to the Kentucky State Police Forensic Lab, officer Conn said, and dental records are being used in an attempt to make a positive identification.
The News Express also posted direct quotes to their reporter.
“We should have the positive identification within the next couple of days,” Conn said. “But, from statements made by (one suspect, Eric DeLeon), we have good reason to believe it is Mr. Wesley Hook’s remains,” the paper quoted Conn as saying.
Eric DeLeon, officer Conn said, was arrested on July 10 by Kentucky State Police officers with the agency’s Drug Enforcement and Special Investigations Branch East, and then interviewed at the Pikeville Police Department.
“During that interview, Mr. DeLeon made statements,” officer Conn said. “One of the statements he made was that he had burned the car.”
Officer Conn said that police lodged DeLeon in the Pike County Detention Center on a charge of second-degree arson.
On July 3, information officer Conn said, another suspect in the case, Enos E. Little, 46, of River Park Drive, Lexington, was arrested on drug trafficking charges. Since then, a Pike County grand jury indicted Little on numerous charges related to that arrest.
According to officer Conn, a warrant was issued for the third suspect, Krystle Williams, 33, of Julius Avenue, Pikeville, on a charge of arson in connection with the burning of the vehicle.
None of the suspects, Conn said, have confessed to killing Hook, but police believe they are involved in the homicide because of statements that have been made.
“They have very detailed knowledge of what happened,” officer Conn said. “Also, DeLon stated that he had burned the car.”
Assistant Pike Commonwealth’s Attorney Donald “D.J.” Smith said the homicide may have occurred in Floyd County, at the Alpike Motel in Ivel, before the body was removed and placed in the vehicle which was then burned in the Robinson Creek area of Pike County.
Smith said the prosecutors in Pike County have been in contact with Floyd County authorities to make a decision as to where charges will be filed and the current plan is to move forward in Pike County.
“It is currently the plan to present all of the charges to the Pike County grand jury as one continuous course of action upon the completion of gathering more evidence and the next meeting of the grand jury,” state attorney Smith said. “Homicide charges would be presented to be considered by the grand jury, as would other charges, such as tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse, things like that,” the News-Express story quoted Smith as saying.
The homicide charges, Mr. Smith said, will be presented against DeLeon, Little and Williams, but there were other people whose possible involvement in the homicide remains under investigation.
The officials said the facts of the case, as well as the motive, remain under investigation, but the crime is not seen as being random, but that Hook and the other three were associates.
“They did know each other,” officer Conn said. “It wasn’t a random thing.”
Commonwealth Attorney Smith said the investigation’s success is the result of good community policing, while officer Conn said the involvement and assistance of Hook’s family has led the investigation along. From day one, Conn said, Eric DeLeon’s name was mentioned in connection with Hook.
Officer Conn also said the department is taking the case and its role in the case very seriously.
“We’re going to speak for Wesley,” officer Conn said. “We’re going to take care of Wesley because he can’t take care of himself.”
This story contains quotes posted by The Appalachian News/Express in Pikeville.
