Man makes belated confession in farmer’s death

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ALLEGAN, Mich. (AP) — A man serving a life term for murder
has confessed to fatally shooting Allegan County farmer Phil Timmerman,
after insisting his innocence for nearly two decades.
Scott Wynne
confessed in a five-page statement and a 90-minute recorded interview
with police, saying he wanted to make amends with the victim’s family,
The Grand Rapids Press reported Thursday (http://bit.ly/1s8Pg2X ). The newspaper said it
obtained the document under a Freedom of Information Act request.
"Although
words are inadequate to express my regret for the harm and pain I so
thoughtlessly inflicted on the Timmerman family, through this statement I
hope to express my sorrow and remorse and provide some closure for
them," Wynne wrote.
Timmerman, 37, was killed May 18, 1995, while
working in an Allegan Township cornfield after dark. Wynne was convicted
six months later. He filed numerous appeals and even convinced a
federal judge to order a new trial, a decision reversed by a higher
court.
His appeals were exhausted in 2011 with a rejection from the U.S. Supreme Court.
In
his statement, Wynne said he was angry that Timmerman had leased his
family’s farmland, which Wynne considered his own after the death of his
father.
He said Timmerman refused to rework a land agreement with
Wynne’s mother. That night, Wynne painted his face, donned camouflage
clothing and approached Timmerman in the darkened field.
Wynne
said Timmerman asked, "What the hell do you think you’re doing?" and
walked toward him. Wynne said he panicked, then became angry and fired a
.22-caliber assault rifle. That gun jammed, so he fired repeatedly from
a .45-caliber handgun. Timmerman, married and the father of three sons,
was hit nine times.
The confession vindicated people whom the
defense identified as possible suspects, said Patrick O’Reilly, a
retired Allegan County sheriff’s detective.
The victim’s brothers,
Dave and Ken Timmerman, said in a statement: "We were sure all along he
was guilty but are glad this is out in the open for the sake of the
jury, those that testified, the Sheriff’s Department, the Prosecutor,
and anyone else that was affected by the tragic event, confirming that
the right decision was made."
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Information from: The Grand Rapids Press, http://www.mlive.com/grand-rapids

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