Indictment Reveals Dark Motives Behind Bibb Co. Murder Case
56-year-ol John Wesley Collum has been indicted for capital murder-for-hire in the June death of 36-year-old Oscar De Santiago Soto in Bibb County. Collum entered three pleas during his arraignment in Bibb County Circuit Court on Nov. 18. He pleaded not guilty, not guilty by mental disease and not guilty by mental disease and/or defect.
The victim was last being seen in Montevallo driving his pickup on the afternoon of June 18 but was not publicly seen after that.
The Pelham man's remains were found in his Ford Ranger pickup. It had been burned and buried in a pit on property in the 2000 block of Randolph Road. Investigators claim Collum used a backhoe to bury and set fire to both the body and the truck.
A Bibb County grand jury indicted Collum on four counts: capital murder for pecuniary gain, hindering prosecution, abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence, earlier this year. The indictment alleges Collum killed Soto for monetary gain and attempted to destroy evidence by setting the remains and vehicle on fire.
According to that indictment, two other people were listed with helping Collum bury the remains.
The identities of the other two suspects and their legal status have not been released publicly by the Bibb County Sheriff's Office.
Collum remains in the Bibb County Jail with no bond set. His trial date is not until September of next year.
Read More: Missing Pelham Man Found Dead in Montevallo, Where Man is Charged with Corpse Abuse
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