MAN PLEADS GUILTY For '05 Shooting

Apr 08,2008 00:00 by Paul B. Hayes
An Adair County man whose trial over a shooting incident which occurred in July, 2005 was slated to begin Thursday in Adair Circuit Court entered a guilty plea to amended charges after the jury had been selected and testimony set to begin.
Odell Tabor, 59, of Columbia, had been facing charges of assault first degree, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and tampering with physical evidence in connection with the shooting of Donnie Wheeler which occurred on July 15, 2005 at a residence on Sparksville Road.
As the trial was set to begin, Tabor’s lawyer, Public Defender Sandra Downs, and Commonwealth Attorney Brian Wright announced to Circuit Judge James Weddle that a plea agreement had been reached.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, the charge of possession of a handgun by a convicted felon was amended to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and the charge of assault first degree was amended to assault under extreme emotional disturbance.
Tabor agreed to be sentenced to five years on each count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and five years on the count of tampering with physical evidence, with all sentences to run concurrent. He also agreed to a one year sentence on the charge of assault under extreme emotional disturbance, with the sentence to run consecutive to the five-year sentences, for a total sentence of six years.
Judge Weddle set final sentencing for Tabor for Apr. 29.
In another case that had been scheduled for trial on Wednesday, a man facing several assault charges and a DUI charge in connection with a July 2005 wreck also reached a plea agreement.
Wayne Alan Sullivan, 36, of Columbia, had been charged with three counts of assault in the first degree, four counts of assault fourth degree, DUI, no insurance and failure to wear a seat belt in connection with an accident that happened in Adair County on July 15, 2005.
In that accident, which occurred on KY 61 two miles north of Columbia, Sullivan, driving a pickup truck, ran off the roadway, came back on and collided head-on with a van being operated by Craig Thomas of Lily, KY. Sullivan, Thomas and six passengers in the van were all taken to Westlake Regional Hospital, and Sullivan was later arrested and charged with DUI.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, the three counts of assault first degree were amended to three counts of assault second degree.
Sullivan agreed to a sentence of 10 years on two of the counts of assault second degree, to be served concurrently with each other, and five years on the remaining assault second degree charge, with the sentence to run consecutively for a total sentence of 15 years. He also agreed to a sentence of 12 months in jail on each charge of assault fourth degree, and 90 days in jail for no insurance, with the sentences to be served concurrently with the felony sentences.
Judge Weddle set Sullivan’s final sentencing for Apr. 29.