Jury finds man guilty of murder by abuse in relative’s death

ALBANY, Ore. — A Linn County Circuit Court jury has found a man guilty of murder in the death of a relative.

Chad Cheever was found guilty Wednesday of murder by abuse and assault in the 2018 death 60-year-old Don Whisenhunt, The Albany Democrat-Herald reported.

Cheever was the nephew of Whisenhunt’s ex-wife and was living with Whisenhunt in Tangent at the time.

The jury reached the verdict in just under three hours Wednesday.

Tami Fulbright, Whisenhunt’s daughter, pleaded guilty to criminal mistreatment in Whisenhunt’s death in 2019. Fulbright withheld necessary and adequate medical treatment from Whisenhunt and the jury found Cheever was similarly neglectful.

Prosecutors said an autopsy showed Whisenhunt had a broken vertebra and other serious injuries before his death. The defense attempted to call into question when and how those injuries occurred.

Additionally, the defense said that while Cheever struck Whisenhunt during an altercation, he was unaware of Whisenhunt’s condition and should not be held culpable in a lack of medical treatment for Whisenhunt.

Cheever is slated for sentencing Friday.