Wesley Lee Melton Jr., 22, Maud, Okla., was found not guilty of child molestation Wednesday after a two-day jury trial. A jury of 12 Kosciusko county citizens came to the verdict after two days of numerous testimonies, pieces of evidence, forensic DNA testing procedures and even a few teary eyes. Melton was arrested Jan. 19 and charged with molestation of a victim under 14 years of age following allegations made in 2013. Child molestation is a class B felony with a minimum 10-year sentence. After both the prosecution and defense presented their cases and closing arguments, it only took half an hour for the jury to come to the unanimous decision that Melton was not guilty. Melton has been released from the custody of the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department with no further charges. Defense Attorney Jay Rigdon used the testimonies of Melton, and Melton’s ex-girlfriend, Kayla Hamilton, to prove his client’s innocence within reasonable doubt. The prosecution failed to supply substantial evidence that could incriminate Melton, Rigdon contended. “We’re just glad that the jury came out with the verdict I thought they should have come out with. I don’t think it was a very strong case and I don’t think my client did it,” said Rigdon, just minutes after the hearing. State Prosecutor Katie Hampton presented multiple witnesses to aid her, including Derek Kreider, Milford Police Department; Detective Joshua Spangle, Kosciusko County Sheriff Department; a crime scene investigator of 13 years, Joseph Denton, Syracuse Police Department; Dr. Michael Z. Caplis, lab director of Great Lakes Lab in Valparaiso since 1970; and the alleged victim, among others. Supposedly taking place between March 1 and April 28, 2013, Melton entered the bedroom of the now 16-year-old victim late one night, and without saying anything, proceeded to put a hand on the victim’s thighs and progressing to having sexual intercourse with her, according to Hampton and her witnesses. Melton was said to have promptly left afterward. The victim never confided in an adult what she said took place that night until a family friend confronted her with concerns from inappropriate text messages and a lead from one of the victim’s friends. Crime scene investigators collected evidence in the form of a section of mattress containing DNA evidence and looked to Great Lakes Lab’s Dr. Caplis and Tina Wolter, DNA technician, to compare the genetic material on the mattress to a sample of tissues provided by Melton. While the DNA did positively match Melton’s, he and Hamilton admitted to having sexual intercourse in various places around the house, including the alleged victim’s bedroom. Melton was previously found guilty of possessing a stolen vehicle and had served two years in prison in Oklahoma between the time of the alleged incident and his arrest this year.
