A man who previously pleaded guilty to the 2014 murder of a 6-year-old boy was back in court last week.
Scottie A. Willet, 31, of Fulton, was denied post-conviction relief following a hearing held before Judge Jeff Harris on April 4-5. Willet was accused and pleaded guilty to the 2014 murder of Dayne Hathman and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The judge also sentenced Willet to an additional 20 years for the offense of armed criminal action.
In November 2016, Willet filed for post-conviction relief alleging his plea counsel, Justin Carver, had failed to fully investigate Willet's mental ability to plead guilty to the offenses or other mental health defenses. Willet also alleged he had been coerced to plead guilty against his will by Carver and Prosecuting Attorney Christopher Wilson.
Harris entered an order Friday denying Willet's claims, finding Carver had hired an expert to conduct a mental evaluation of Willet prior to the guilty plea and had reasonably relied on that evaluation, which found Willet understood the consequences of a guilty plea.
The judge also found Willet was represented by "competent and committed" defense counsel and that neither Carver, nor Wilson, had coerced Willet into pleading guilty against his will. As a result of the judge's order, Willet's guilty plea will stand.
According to the initial probable cause statement, Willet initially admitted guilt in the case when being interviewed Aug. 28, 2014, by then Callaway County Sheriff Dennis Crane and Lt. Clay Chism, who is now sheriff. At that time, Willet admitted he deliberately shot the boy multiple times with a .40-caliber handgun while he was babysitting at a residence on Primrose Lane in Fulton.
The boy's mother had left the boy with Willet, a family friend, while she went to work overnight, as previously reported by the Fulton Sun. When she arrived home, Willet was still there but she couldn't find her son.
The boy's grandmother, who lived next door, reported him missing. When Willet learned first responders were on their way, he fled the home in the mother's vehicle, Crane said at the time.
Investigators found the boy's body concealed in Willet's closet at the home. Willet was later located and arrested in Sedalia.
Dayne was a kindergarten student at McIntire Elementary School.
Willet was represented by the Public Defender's Office on the motion. The Callaway County Prosecuting Attorney's Office was assisted by the Missouri Attorney General's Office in opposing Willet's motion. The murder case was originally investigated by the Callaway County Sheriff's Office.