CLARINDA, IOWA, October 23, 2024: The Page County Attorney’s Office has announced that following a two-day trial and about 90-minutes of jury deliberation, 38-year-old Samantha Wheatley, of Shenandoah, was found guilty of the crime of Willful Injury, a class D felony, and Assault with Intent to Inflict Serious Injury. The verdict was rendered Wednesday afternoon.

Wheatley was originally charged with Attempted Murder and Willful Injury after striking Sayj Martin with an automobile Wheatley was driving in Shenandoah, on December 31, 2023. Wheatley was released on bond and sentencing will take place on January 8, 2025.

Samantha Wheatley (Photo courtesy of the Page County Attorney’s Office)

The case was investigated by the Shenandoah Police Department, with assistance from the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa State Patrol, and was prosecuted by the Page County Attorney’s Office.