An Indiana man who once won a Republican township board primary from jail while he was charged with the murder of his wife was convicted of voluntary manslaughter.
Andrew Wilhoite was arrested in connection with the death of his wife, Elizabeth "Nikki" Wilhoite in March 2022, the Boone County Sheriff's Office said at the time.
While incarcerated in jail, Andrew was one of three Republican candidates who advanced in a primary election for the Clinton Township Board. The race only drew three candidates, the Associated Press reported.
Nikki was Dead in a Creek After Coworkers Reported Her Missing
Nikki was found dead in a creek by Indiana State Police after co-workers reported her missing.
"During the course of a domestic dispute, [then] 39-year-old Andrew N. Wilhoite, Elizabeth's husband, had allegedly struck her in the head with a blunt object causing her to lose consciousness," state police said at the time. "He then placed her into a vehicle and drove to a nearby creek where he dumped her body."
Andrew Told Cops He and Nikki Allegedly Had a Fight Over His Affair, Her Divorce Filing
Andrew was charged with murder. According to The Daily Beast, he admitted to striking Nikki with a flower pot during an argument over an affair he was having and the fact that Nikki had filed for divorce a few days ago.
Andrew told investigators he was lying down when Nikki, who he claimed was "heavily drunk," charged at him. He said he threw her out of the front door of their home and then hit her in the face with a heavy cement flowerpot after he claimed she charged at him.
An autopsy found Nikki Wilhoite died from blunt force trauma to the head. At the time of her death, Nikki had just completed chemotherapy treatments for cancer.
Andrew's trial began in April. The jury was given the option to consider both murder and voluntary manslaughter. According to the Lebanon Reporter, the judge told jurors they could also consider the lesser charge of manslaughter if they felt Nikki Wilhoite's death was the result of "sudden heat." He could face up to 30 years in prison following his conviction.
