In the early morning hours of November 30, 2018, the life of 30-year-old Justin Willingham, a Caucasian male from Salina, Kansas, was tragically cut short. Police were dispatched to a residence at 703 State Street at approximately 3:43 a.m. following a report of shots fired. Upon their arrival, they discovered Willingham inside the home, suffering from gunshot wounds. Despite the efforts of Salina Fire Department EMS, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
This event marked the first homicide in Salina for the year 2018.
The investigation into Willingham's death quickly identified persons of interest. Detectives began interviewing witnesses who were present at the residence during the shooting. Through their investigation, they developed a suspect: 25-year-old Mika Lee Thille of Downs, Kansas. Later that same day, an acquaintance brought Thille to the police department. By 9:15 p.m., he was booked into the Saline County Jail. Another person of interest, Valerie Ann Vogel, was also identified, though she was not listed on the initial booking reports. Police also later sought the public's help in locating 41-year-old Shannon Lavar Bryant, who they believed had information regarding the homicide.
Mika Lee Thille was initially charged with several offenses, including first-degree murder, aggravated robbery, and aggravated burglary. The case proceeded to a jury trial where the events of that night were scrutinized. Thille’s defense attorney raised questions about the presence of a second gun at the scene, which introduced doubt among the jurors. Ultimately, the jury found Thille guilty of the lesser charge of second-degree murder. This conviction carried a sentence of approximately 38 years in prison. The trial brought a legal conclusion to the violent death of Justin Willingham, though the full story of the events that transpired in the house on State Street may never be completely known.
