An Abilene woman suspected of conspiracy to commit first degree murder was apprehended Tuesday in Stafford County, and was held for a time at the Barton County Jail.
Megan V. Wells, 21, has since been transferred to the Saline County Jail in lieu of $1 million bond. Saline County Attorney Ellen Mitchell said Wells is scheduled for a court appearance at 8:30 a.m. Thursday.
Wells testified last December at the preliminary hearings of Joel Heil, 25, and Dane C. DeWeese, 33, of Abilene, who are charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the death of Kristin Tyler, a 27-year-old Salina mother of four. Tyler was missing for two weeks before her body was found May 9, 2013 off Interstate I35 in rural Saline County, according to the Salina Journal.
Captain Mike Sweeney of the Salina Police Department issued a statement Wednesday afternoon, confirming Wells’ charges are in connection by Tyler’s murder. He said the Saline County Sheriff’s Office and the Salina Police Department are continuing with their investigation.
Stafford County Sheriff Jeff Parr said Saline County law enforcement messaged a possible location and vehicle description for Wells in the 600 block of Chestnut St. in Stafford.
Stafford County Undersheriff Rob Morrow and Stafford police officers took Wells into custody at 3:32 p.m. Tuesday. She was transported to the Barton County Jail, and Wednesday afternoon she was moved to the Saline County Jail.
According to one Salina Journal account, Wells had testified she was engaged to DeWeese and lived with him and their infant son. She said she had gone to bed with the baby around 8:30 or 9:30 p.m. on April 25, 2013, but about 2 a.m., April 26, she noticed the baby seemed to be having difficulty breathing. She said she and DeWeese took the baby to the Salina Regional Health Center emergency room for a breathing treatment.
Both murder suspects pleaded not guilty. After the preliminary hearing, DeWeese’s trial was set for March 24 and Heil’s was scheduled for May 7.