An accused murderer is one step closer to holding public office.
According to NBC News, Indiana resident Andrew Wilhoite is among three candidates who won a local GOP primary for the Clinton Township Board. The 40-year-old man reportedly secured 60 out of a total 276 votes on Tuesday, while the other candidates received 110 and 106 votes, respectively. It’s reported there are only three candidates running for three open seats on the board. No democrats are vying for a spot.
Wilhoite advanced in the election while locked up in Boone County jail without bond. The man was taken into custody earlier this year after he allegedly killed his cancer-stricken wife, Elizabeth “Nikki” Wilhoite. The suspect reportedly told authorities the incident occurred in March, when he and his wife were arguing outside their home in March. At one point during the dispute, Wilhoite allegedly struck his wife in the head with a flower pot, causing her to fall to the ground. Authorities say the man confessed to then putting his wife’s body in his truck and drove it to a nearby creek, where he ultimately dumped it.
Elizabeth Wilhoite’s body was found partially submerged in the creek on March 26.
“The fundamental principle is that under our legal system, every person is presumed innocent until proven guilty,” said Brad King, co-director of the Indiana Election Division. “At this point, there’s been no plea of guilty or conviction by a judge or a jury. So there’s nothing in the election law that prohibits a person who’s been accused from continuing to be a candidate and whether they’ve been indicted or arrested, imprisoned, whatever the status might be, they remain eligible until or unless they receive a felony conviction.”
Wilhoite’s jury trial is set to begin in late August, about two months before the general election. If he’s ultimately found guilty of felony murder, he will be removed from the ballot.
