Boone County man avoids murder conviction, found guilty of voluntary manslaughter in wife’s death

BOONE COUNTY, Ind. – A Boone County man who killed his wife avoided a murder conviction after jurors found him guilty of voluntary manslaughter this week.

Jurors returned the verdict Thursday in the trial of Andrew Wilhoite, who faced one count of murder in the 2022 death of his wife, Elizabeth “Nikki” Wilhoite.

Case background

According to court documents, Nikki didn’t show up for work on March 25, 2022. She had filed for divorce on March 17.

When police contacted Andrew Wilhoite, he told them his wife had gotten drunk and they’d gotten into a “pretty good fight.” Police found blood on the bedsheets and mattress in the master bedroom and near the door and master bathroom sink during their search.

Wilhoite told investigators he was lying down when Nikki “came after him” and scratched him. As Indiana State Police took over the investigation, he told them his wife discovered he was having an affair and approached him about a separation.

He wouldn’t sign the papers without having his attorney review it. He again said his wife had been drinking heavily the night before her disappearance. He tried to explain away blood on the mattress, telling police he’d had a nosebleed.

After requesting a lawyer, he told police what happened on March 24. Around 10 p.m., they were arguing about the affair when Nikki started hitting him. He said he threw her out of the front door of their home and then hit her in the face with a heavy cement flowerpot after he claimed she charged at him.

She wasn’t moving or making any sounds, Wilhoite said. He put her in his truck and drove to a nearby creek to hide the body. An autopsy found Nikki Wilhoite died from blunt force trauma to the head.

She had been battling cancer and had recently finished chemotherapy treatments before her death.

Jury struggles for verdict

While prosecutors filed a murder charge against Wilhoite, jurors couldn’t agree on a verdict despite hours of deliberation during this week’s trial.

According to the Lebanon Reporter , the judge told jurors they could also consider the lesser charge of manslaughter if they felt Nikki Wilhoite’s death was the result of “sudden heat.”

Using that framework, the jury decided to give the case another try. They eventually returned a guilty verdict for voluntary manslaughter, a Level 2 felony carrying a prison sentence between 10 and 30 years.

Wilhoite would’ve faced a more severe sentence if the jury opted for a murder conviction. Sentencing is scheduled for June 4, 2024, according to court records.

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