BENTONVILLE (KFSM) — A Siloam Springs man was sentenced Tuesday (April 24) to 20 years in prison followed by a 10-year suspended sentence in connection with the death of his father in December 2014.
Ted Charles Meehan, 31, pleaded no contest in Benton County Circuit Court to second-degree murder. He initially faced a charge of capital murder.
Timothy Meehan’s body was discovered Dec. 26, 2014, at his home on 15554 1/2 Airport Road just east of Siloam Springs across from the city’s municipal airport, according to the Benton County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office was called to the home around 10 a.m. by a friend, the sheriff’s office said. Timothy Meehan was found in the bedroom with a single gunshot wound to the head, according to the sheriff’s office.
Detectives also found a single bullet hole in Ted Meehan’s bedroom door that looked like it had been fired from inside the bedroom and into the living in the direction of Tim Meehan’s bedroom, the affidavit states.
When investigators interviewed Ted Meehan, he said he had last seen his father on Christmas Day around 5 p.m. watching television in his room, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Ted Meehan then drove to his mother’s house in Siloam Springs for Christmas, the affidavit states.
During the course of the interview Meehan stared straight ahead and became agitated when the investigator repeated his questions, according to the affidavit.
Ted Meehan said he returned home between 10 p.m. and 12 a.m. and went straight to bed without seeing his father, the affidavit states.
When the investigator asked Ted Meehan to fill out a written statement, Meehan went to sit in a car where he fell asleep, according to the affidavit. He then told the investigator he couldn’t think and left the statement blank.
Melissa Baer, who was driving the car, told investigators she was friends with Tim Meehan and was the one who found him dead in his bed, the affidavit states.
However, after further interviews with police, she admitted that it had been her boyfriend, Frankie Palone, who had found Tim Meehan dead, according to the affidavit.
After speaking with Baer and Palone, the couple pointed investigators to Brandy Pack and Bucky Forrest, who often got prescription medication from Tim Meehan, the affidavit states.
Baer said Ted Meehan was also known for using his fathers prescription drugs, according to the affidavit.
Pack contacted detectives herself to tell them about several incidents between Ted and Tim Meehan. She said Ted Meehan had threatened to kill his father when he stopped giving him the medication and on another occasion had shot a gun off inside Tim Meehan’s house, the affidavit states.
Baer, Palone, Pack and Forrest all told investigators they had last seen or spoke with Tim Meehan on Christmas Eve and did not contact him on Christmas Day, according to the affidavit.
Detectives then interviewed several other people who to confirm Baer, Palone, Pack and Forrest’s statements.
When Ted Meehan was brought to the sheriff’s office to be interviewed, he declined to answer any questions and was released, the affidavit states.
He was taken into custody again several days later on a warrant for nonsupport, according to the affidavit. When detectives attempted to interview him again, Ted Meehan once again refused to answer their questions, the affidavit states.
In January 2015, detectives interviewed Brian Bishop who had seen Tim Meehan on Christmas Day.
Bishop said Tim Meehan had called him recently sounding scared and told him his son had attacked him, according to the affidavit.
The next time Bishop saw Tim Meehan he had scratches on his face and forehead and his nose had all the skin taken off of it, the affidavit states.
Bishop then told investigators about an incident on Dec. 23, 2014 when Ted Meehan sent photos of his genitalia to Bishop’s girlfriend, according to the affidavit.
Bishop told Tim Meehan about the incident and then told detectives he was sure Ted Meehan had killed his father, the affidavit states.
Detectives interviewed Ted Meehan once more in January. Ted Meehan told them he had been living with his father for 19 years and they had a good relationship, according to the affidavit.
The court documents show Ted Meehan had a history of methamphetamine use and had a difficult time answering detectives’ questions or denied statements made by Tim Meehan’s friends.
During one of the interviews, detectives asked Ted Meehan if had killed his father. Ted Meehan began to cry and asked for his pastor and a bible, the affidavit states.
After a visit from his pastor, Ted Meehan told investigators he had been high Christmas night and while he was not sure, it was possible that he had shot and killed his father, but he could not remember the details, according to the affidavit.
The Benton County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation took nearly two years because investigators had to wade through several witness statements and rule out other suspects.
“There was an extensive amount of phone records to obtain and go through,” Lt. Paul Carter said.
“As well as video records to obtain and go through and follow-up interviews. That’s what drew most of this out.”
