CULLMAN, Ala. – The murder trial of Randall Dewayne Hogan, 71, began Tuesday, Oct. 27, in Cullman County Circuit Court, more than six years after Vinemont resident Jeffery Glenn Wilhite disappeared from the West Point community.
Hogan is being tried under an April 2026 indictment charging him with murder, abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence. The charges are allegations, and Hogan is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The indictment accuses Hogan of killing Wilhite on or about April 2, 2020. It further alleges Hogan treated Wilhite’s remains in a manner that would outrage ordinary family sensibilities and removed or concealed physical evidence connected to the alleged killing.
Wilhite was 59 when he disappeared. Authorities have said his remains have not been recovered.
The Cullman County Sheriff’s Office investigation continued for more than three years before the case was first presented to a grand jury.
Sheriff Matt Gentry and Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker announced Hogan’s original murder charge during a Nov. 1, 2023, press conference.
Hogan had been arrested Oct. 30, 2023, following the first grand jury indictment. Gentry and Crocker declined to answer detailed questions during the announcement, citing the ongoing investigation and the need to protect the prosecution.
The original prosecution did not reach trial. Shortly before a scheduled November 2025 trial, the State dismissed the murder case without prejudice after what prosecutors described as newly discovered evidence.
A dismissal without prejudice allowed the State to present the case again.
Hogan’s bond had previously been revoked in May 2025 following a contested hearing before Circuit Judge Emily N. Johnston. Crocker said prosecutors sought the revocation after Hogan was arrested on a new allegation while awaiting trial.
A Cullman County grand jury returned the current indictment April 13, 2026. Unlike the earlier prosecution, the new indictment included abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence in addition to murder.
Following an April 21 hearing, the circuit court ordered Hogan held without bond under Aniah’s Law. Crocker announced the ruling the following day.
Aniah’s Law permits Alabama courts to deny bail before trial for defendants charged with certain violent offenses when prosecutors satisfy the legal requirements for detention. A no-bond order is not a finding of guilt.
The active trial concerns the April 2026 indictment. It is separate from the 2023 murder case the State dismissed before trial.
The Tribune will continue following the trial and report the prosecution’s evidence, the defense response, court rulings and the jury’s decision.
BACKGROUND: www.cullmantribune.com/tag/randall-hogan
