Court records show murder suspect used stolen handgun

The man who admitted to the fatal shooting of a 6-year-old Fulton boy used a stolen handgun, according to court records.

Michael Leupold, director of the Swiss Ministry of Justice, speaks Tuesday as Urs Ursprung, director of the Swiss Federal Tax Department, listens at a news conference in Bern, Switzerland, about the criteria used to determine which UBS AG bank account holders will be identified to the Internal Revenue Service.
Michael Leupold, director of the Swiss Ministry of Justice, speaks Tuesday as Urs Ursprung, director of the Swiss Federal Tax Department, listens at a news conference in Bern, Switzerland, about the criteria used to determine which UBS AG bank account holders will be identified to the Internal Revenue Service.

Scottie A. Willet, 27, is now facing the charge of stealing a firearm in addition to first-degree murder and armed criminal action for the death of Dayne Hathman, 6, of Fulton.

The probable cause statement states Willet's father, who lives in Harrisburg, noticed his Hi-Point .40 caliber handgun - the same type of weapon Willet possessed when arrested - was missing around 3:30 a.m. on Thursday.

Willet's father told authorities that someone informed him that Willet was seen carrying a firearm. This caused Willet's father to check on his gun and that's when he realized it was missing.

The father told police that he did not give his son permission to use the handgun recently, nor has he ever in the past. Willet's father said he last saw the weapon on Aug. 21, according to the probable cause statement.

Boone County Sheriff's Deputy Jason Dunlap prepared the probable cause statement and in it wrote that he confirmed the serial number of the stolen handgun and that of Willet's father are the same.

Callaway County Sheriff's deputies arrived at Hathman's home on Primrose Lane in Fulton around 2:45 a.m. Thursday, according to Callaway County Sheriff Dennis Crane. Willet was temporarily living at the residence with Hathman and Hathman's mother, Ladaynea Simpson, since January.

Authorities believed they were searching for a missing child when they arrived on scene. They later discovered Hathman hidden inside Willet's room. He suffered from multiple gunshots.

Willet is in Callaway County Jail on a $1 million bond.