Profile

Name: Jonathan Whalley (John Griffin, Michael Zeke Holpuch, John Popa Viorel, Morgan Troy, Popa Viorel, Jeremy David Koch. )
Aliases: John Griffin, Michael Zeke Holpuch, John Popa Viorel, Morgan Troy, Popa Viorel, Jeremy David Koch.
Sex: Male
Race: White
Height: 5'10\"
Weight: 210
Wanted for: Felony Accessory to Murder, Barre, VT

Locations

Last seen: Unkown
Possible location: , GA , AR West Palm Beach, FL
Last known: Unkown

Traits

Case Story

Fugitive Skips Out On Plea Deal, Then Pleads For Help

Cops say small-time crook Jonathan Whalley carried a heavy burden on his conscience. Eventually, Whalley's conscience would lead him to the Barre, Vt. Police Department, where Whalley told cops he knew where a body was buried. The cops followed Whalley to the back of a house where he showed them the shallow grave of James Saunders, a Vermont man who went missing two years ago. As cops dug up the shallow grave and saw how badly beaten and decomposed Saunders' body was, they knew that Whalley was more drug dealer than low-key informant.  The 34 year old man originally told police that he stood idle as a group of men beat Saunders, ultimately breaking his back.  They buried him in a grave. But as police began making arrests and interviewing suspects they found that Whalley was more mastermind than bystander and soon charged him as an accessory to the murder. Facing 15 years in jail, Whalley had few options and made a deal with prosecutors that would reduce his sentence to seven years, in exchange for his testimony against his drug buddies. But cops say Whalley never followed through on his promise. On January 28, the day Whalley was supposed to sign his plea deal, he was a no-show.  Cops immediately issued a warrant for his arrest because without him as a witness, police believe that two suspects in Saunder's murder would get lighter sentences. Whalley had other plans and instead of signing his plea deal he skipped town. Cops say for a while, they didn't know where Whalley was -- until his conscience started roubling him again. In April 2008, Whalley began phoning local law enforcement agencies in Vermont, and told them he needed their help.  From Whalley, police learned he was hiding in Mexico and wanted to turn himself in because he was ready to change his life around. A surrender was arraigned Saturday and Mexican authorities turned Whalley over to local police in Houston, Texas where he is currently awaiting an extradition hearing to be sent back to Vermont.