High School teacher Samson Shelton Suspect in Kidnapping and attempted Murder of Ashley Reeves
Ashley Reeves, 17, is being treated at a St. Louis hospital after being found with a broken neck and other injuries. It is believed she sustained these injuries from a teacher from another district. High School teacher Samson Shelton of Smithton was charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count. Ashley Reeves was found at 2 a.m. Saturday critically injured after lying 30 hours in dense woods in Citizens Park in Belleville.
Freeburg High School teacher Samson Shelton of Smithton is charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of kidnapping. He’s jailed in Belleville on $1 million bond.
Authorities found Reeves early Saturday in a heavily wooded area at a Belleville park, where she apparently had been lying for about 30 hours.
Investigators say Shelton had an undisclosed relationship with Reeves.
(WFIE 14)
What a shock, he had a MySpace account.
Day after girl was attacked, suspect gave no hint of stress
Just hours after prosecutors say Samson R. “Sam” Shelton tried to murder Ashley Reeves, 17, he appeared “completely normal” as he taught drivers education
Friday morning at Freeburg High School, one of his students said Sunday.
“He was normal, joking around as usual,” said Scott Brethauer, a freshman at
the high school. Brethauer said he saw nothing to indicate anything out of the ordinary in Shelton’s behavior.
For those who thought that it was the All American family with Samson Shelton living the normal life-style, take a look at this.
Shelton’s arrest has stunned students at the school and neighbors in the upscale Wildwood Lake Estates neighborhood in Smithton where Shelton has been living with his mother and grandmother. (a little red flag) The two-story brick home with a three-car garage sits in a country club setting in the 5400 block of Live Oak Drive, with a well-manicured lawn and neatly trimmed bushes.
Shelton, 26, who wrestled locally under the nickname “The Teacher,” was active in a variety of sports. He took part in a fast-pitch softball league, and a recent profile on the team’s Web site said his hobbies included “touching hookers” and pornography. (a larger red flag)
Some who knew Shelton painted a different picture of him Sunday. One neighbor, Craig Schwartz, said of Shelton and his family, “If you’ve ever heard of the all-American family, that’s who they were.”
Check out Steve Huff’s posting, Samson’s Fall, on this bizarre situation between yet another student and teacher.
Looking through Coach Shelton’s 70 friends on MySpace revealed plenty of men his age as friends, but no shortage of scantily-clad or alluring young women, either. There was Peyton, who listed her age as 17. There was also Jamie, still in high school (neither she nor Peyton listed themselves as attending Freeburg High), but 18. She left the following comment for Sam Shelton on April 25th, 2006, around 9 at night:
“i get to see u 2morrow right?”
[...] The accounts mention Sam Shelton’s web presence, so I did some looking. He has a profile on MySpace located via this post. He posted several comments on this profile. I found this post from one friend. Another friend had two posts, and I found this post by yet another friend. Another post another person casts him in a worse light. Shelton was a local professional wrestler. This post has more links than I can provide about Shelton. [...]
Pingback by Peripatetic Circumambulant » Local crime | May 2, 2006
“Ashley Reeves is pregnant and that is the TRUE reason there are 2 counts of attempted murder on the table, not 1. This is also the motive for Shelton trying to murder Ashley Reeves, as he said Shelton confirmed that she was out to ruin him with the pregnancy. He knew he would lose his teaching certificate and that it would be an obstacle to live the lifestyle he was living, dating multiple young girls and having no strings attached. He had no information to give us about Ashley Reeves condition, but says that more charges are likely to come, charges of a sexual nature.”
From his blog:
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=40858858&blogID=87064217&MyToken=8802dcf9-2afb-4fb0-88c9-8e916f4dff34
Comment by festa | May 5, 2006
You might want verify your claims. There is a website that details all THREE of Mr. Shelton’s charges pending against him. Mind you there is no word of pregnancy or anything sexual.
Don’t be offended if I point that out. Where did you learn that Ms. Reeves was pregnant? Personally I don’t buy it, and as much as many people would like to hear me come down on Mr. Shelton….it really isn’t my place. That is for a judge and jury to decide. Not the general public.
Before people start sqwauking about pregnancy, and whatever unfounded ideas they have the best idea is to remain quiet and observant. I am not suggesting that he is innocent or guilty, but I have friends and family in the legal industry. It’s best to keep opinions to ourselves.
For that matter…I hope for Mr. Shelton’s sake that he is innocent. But if the evidence points elsewhere then he will be answering to the IDOC and God.
Comment by Angel Joseph | May 8, 2006
I would like to suggest to everyone to keep a watchful eye. The St. Clair County Sheriff’s department took a number of articles from Mr. Shelton’s home, and some various other evidence from a local conveinent store.
Again, I am not suggesting that Mr. Shelton is innocent or guilty. A vast majority of the public is not exactly aware of how the criminal justice system works in Illinois or in other states. However after doing some poking around and asking some questions with a few friends of mine that are law students. Mr. Shelton needs to be charged (probable cause) and then later a “discovery” has to be created. (Meaning evidence the state/St. Clair County has against the accused). In turn any witnesses and evidence that the defense comes up with has to ALSO be disclosed to the arresting authorities for cross referencing puroses. After that motions are filed for various things…(ex…motions to surpress certain evidence that may have been collected without cause, or that has no relevance), motions to reduce bail, and etc.
This case is going to be hung up in the court system for a REALLY long time. Witnesses need to be interviewed, the victim needs to be examined for closer analysis of what happened, background checks, and various other things. He’ll be allowed a trial by jury…that is unless he waives his right to one and pleads “no contest” or in other states “nolo contredere” where he will sign a form, and then be sentenced later in sentencing court for the 3 felonies or whatever he would be pleading guilty to. (This is however not the case)
Lastly, it’s sad to hear that someone would want to harm an innocent person to try and attempt to murder them for WHATEVER reason. I feel for the family, friends, and neighbors that were surrounded by Ashley Reeves. My skin crawls when I think about it because I have a really young sister that could’ve been a victim of something like this. But through the grace of God she is fine. If Mr. Shelton did indeed commit these horrible crimes then he should remain in jail for life.
God Bless the Reeves Family and Friends, and whoever else that was drastically effected by these actions.
Comment by Angel Joseph | May 9, 2006