UPDATE: Wells gets 55 years in prison following murder conviction

It took less than two hours for a Mississippi County jury to return a guilty verdict against Cordell Wells Jr., 24, of Blytheville, Wednesday in circuit court.

Wells was charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of Wale Adelowo of 1001 Leawood, Blytheville, on Nov. 6, 2009.

Before jurors could retire again to deliberate Wells' punishment, Wells and his defense attorneys, Ray Nickle and Bill Stanley, both of Jonesboro, asked Judge Ralph Wilson for time to consult with their client. After more than half an hour, the three returned to the courtroom and told Wilson they had decided to take a sentence that had been offered by prosecutors.

Before making the offer, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Curtis Walker Jr. consulted with Adelowo's family members, who were seated in the courtroom.

Wells was sentenced to 40 years in prison on the murder charge, with credit for more than a year of service in the Mississippi County Jail, and an additional 15 years in prison for using a firearm in the commission of a crime.

The plea recommendation was that the two terms be served consecutively, or one after the other, for a total of 55 years in prison.

Under Arkansas law, Wells must serve 70 percent of the 40-year sentence for murder. According to calculations, he must serve at least 31 years in prison before he will be eligible for parole.

Adelowo's mother, Christy Adelowo, said she and the family were happy with the result of the trial.

"The prosecutors did a great job," she said. "Justice has been done."

The family also thanked the judge, prosecutors, family members and jury members for their hard work and support throughout the ordeal.

"We want to thank God for bringing justice. To him be the glory," Mrs. Adelowo said.

Family members said they were thankful for the time jurors spent in careful consideration of the evidence presented. They also thanked the police officers who worked to find their loved one's killer and prove his guilt.

In light of Wells' attitude, which Mrs. Adelowo described as "arrogant," the family felt the sentence was fair.

"He had no remorse," she said. "He has no conscience."

The family members vowed to remember Wells and do all they could to ensure he serves as much time as possible in prison.

"We will come for the parole hearings," Mrs. Adelowo said.

On Tuesday, Wells took the stand in his own defense, saying he only wanted to speak with Adelowo about some problems they were having at work. Wells told Walker under cross-examination that he was not "upset" about the alleged bullying of him by Adelowo, but he didn't want the treatment to continue.

In closing arguments, Walker said Wells made the decision to go to Adelowo's residence armed with a loaded handgun.

"Wale Adelowo was at home minding his own business. Cordell Wells is the furthest thing from his mind," Walker told the jury.

Walker said Wells' couldn't be believed that he only wanted to talk with Adelowo because he remembered to take a gun with him. Wells said he was not wearing a shirt, only a jacket at the time. Walker reminded the jurors of this.

"He couldn't remember to put his shirt on, but he remembered his gun?"

Wells was "caught with the smoking gun" that had killed Adelowo. If Wells had not intended to kill Adelowo, "why did he shoot him seven times?" Walker asked. "This would have never happened if Cordell Wells hadn't gone over there. It all comes back to that."

"What other purpose was there but to kill him?" Walker asked jurors. Walker also told jurors that defense attorneys were trying to create a "smokescreen" of doubt to get their client acquitted.

"The police didn't do this. The police didn't do that," Walker said. "But they sure caught him, didn't they?"

"Make an informed decision based on the facts," he urged.

In closing arguments, Wells' attorney Bill Stanley of Jonesboro contended that if Wells had meant to kill Adelowo, he would have done it first thing, rather than trying to speak with Adelowo first.

Wells alleged that he tried to leave, but Adelowo tackled and choked him, then went to retrieve a weapon. Wells claimed he shot Adelowo in self-defense.

Stanley urged jurors to put themselves in Wells' shoes at the time of the shooting.

"Cordell Wells didn't go over there to kill the man," Stanley said.

In his closing argument, prosecutor Scott Ellington discussed the evidence that had been introduced in the trial and encouraged jurors to review it.

One photograph showed blood on Adelowo's vehicle, on the hood, windshield and rear-view mirror. If Adelowo had been going to his vehicle to get a gun, as Wells testified, then why was the blood spattered on the front of the vehicle? Ellington asked.

"He had to be in front of the vehicle, not reaching for the door, as the defense contends," Ellington said.

Ellington also pointed out that all but one of the shell casings was found near the fence at the Adelowo house. The other one was found in the carport. Ellington maintained that the shell casing came from the "coup de grace" shot to Adelowo's back. The wound showed no upward or downward trajectory, according to testimony from the medical examiner on Tuesday.

"The pistol was in his possession," Ellington said of Wells. "The ballistics prove it's the murder weapon."

dhilton@blythevillecourier.com