JEFFERSON CITY — Drew Atchison, convicted in the deaths of a Wayne County couple and their 17-month-old daughter, will be appearing in court April as the trial portion of his penalty phase will be public.
A motion by Atchison’s attorney for mediation has been denied, according to a recent ruling by the Cole County Judge Jon Edward Beetem.
“The Court has considered the expressed position of the special prosecutor as well as the fact that three (3) successive local prosecutors have declined to accept the defense’s offer to plead to life without parole,” Beetem said in the ruling. “The case remains set for bench trial for the penalty phase.”
Although there is no available link to the motion for mediation, according to courts.mo.gov, the use of mediation is typically one that benefits the client and their attorney(s) by providing a confidential setting in order to discuss all issues and interests of both sides of a case.
Atchison pleaded guilty in December to the 2018 murders of Harley Michael Million, 24, Samara Fontaine Kitts, 23, and their 17-month old daughter, Willa Fontaine Million. He withdrew his original not guilty plea at that time to the charges of three counts of first-degree murder, three counts of armed criminal action and two counts of child kidnapping.
Atchison slit the throats of Million and Kitts, and killed 17-month old Willa Fontaine Million the next day by gunshot, authorities reported. The murders occurred Jan. 28, 2018, with Atchison confessing to the killings Jan. 29, according to previous reports.
The case was moved to Cole County on a change of venue in June 2018.
Court records show many different filings have been made since Atchison’s guilty plea in December. On March 8, Beetem filed a writ of habeas corpus that compels an individual — whose name was redacted from the public record on file — to testify on behalf of Atchison in court during the trial in April. The original petition for the writ was submitted March 7, and officially requested the individual be allowed to testify as a witness in support of a sentence of life without parole, following the state’s evidence.
According to the application for the writ, Atchison’s defense requested the individual, having been housed with Atchison in Cole County Jail, be allowed to testify “to Mr. Atchison’s good behavior and the value of Mr. Atchison’s presence provided... others in the jail, along with Drew’s religious influence in the pod.”