General
Lawyer, accused of rape, commits suicide when confronted by police in Alabama
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) on Friday said a Tennessee fugitive wanted on rape charges killed himself on Thursday, September 10, when confronted by police in Alabama.
According to FOX 17 of Nashville, 49-year-old David Whelan who is an attorney from Murfreesboro was wanted on multiple rape charges including aggravated and rape of a teenage girl who had been babysitting his daughter.
The girl who was able to escape later called the police after the alleged attack.
“During the course of [TBI’s] investigation, agents developed information indicating that David Whelan forced or coerced female clients into sex as a way to re-pay their attorney fees,” TBI said in a June release.
Whelan who had been under investigation since February 2019, has been on the run since early September when police said he failed to appear in court on his charges. He was also charged with aggravated kidnapping and other sexual offenses.
After he was declared as one of the state’s most wanted fugitives, Whelan changed his appearance to escape to getting arrested.
Raymond Smiles, the assistant chief inspector for the Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, said officers received a tip about Whelan being on a boat at the Sundowner Marina, off Dauphin Island Parkway, in Mobile, on Wednesday night. The next morning, a group of five officers approached Whelan after 6 a.m. while he was on the boat.
“When they identified themselves, he reached for his weapon and committed suicide,” Smiles said.
“It was a very quick.
#FugitiveFriday: We need your help to locate David Whelan.
The Murfreesboro man failed to appear in court earlier this week on charges including Aggravated Rape and Statutory Rape by an Authority Figure.
Spot him? Know where he may be? Call 1-800-TBI-FIND! pic.twitter.com/128LOYFrcz
— Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (@TBInvestigation) September 4, 2020
-
News22 hours ago
[ICYMI] NNPC denies fuel price adjustment
-
News20 hours ago
Two bodies recovered from submerged truck in US bridge collapse
-
Metro20 hours ago
Police neutralise two notorious bandits in Benue
-
News21 hours ago
X users to get free premium, premium+ subscriptions – Elon Musk
-
Entertainment19 hours ago
Actress Eniola Ajao apologizes over Bobrisky’s best-dressed female saga
-
News17 hours ago
Military frees abducted Lagos editor Segun Olatunji
-
featured7 hours ago
Song lyrics are now simpler, angrier, more self-obsessed – Study
-
News9 hours ago
Easter: IGP assures police commitment to public safety