After a three-day trial, a Franklin County jury today (Oct. 10) convicted former Festus resident Jeffrey Weinhaus of multiple felonies and a misdemeanor for drug possession, assault of a law enforcement officer and armed criminal action, following an armed confrontation with state troopers in which he was seriously injured.
Weinhaus, an antigovernment Internet blogger for years known as “Bulletinman,” faced charges stemming from a Sept. 11, 2012, altercation with two Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers at a gas station near St. Clair, where he lived at the time.
The two troopers shot him four times – twice in the chest and twice in the head – leaving him with life-threatening injuries.
He has since recuperated.
The drug charges arose from an Aug. 17, 2012, search of Weinhaus’ home, following a video he posted on YouTube allegedly threatening officials.
The trial before Judge Keith Sutherland, who came out of retirement to preside over the much-publicized case, ran Tuesday through today at the Franklin County Judicial Center in Union.
The jury of 10 women and two men took about three hours to reach a verdict. However, as of about 4:30 p.m. today, the jury was still deliberating over Weinhaus’ sentence, after convicting him of a class A felony of assault or attempted assault of a law enforcement officer and an unclassified felony of armed criminal action against Sgt. Henry Folsom of the patrol. Weinhaus also was convicted of a class C felony for possession of marijuana and misdemeanor marijuana possession.
The jury found Weinhaus not guilty of a second count of assaulting a law enforcement officer and another count of armed criminal action against Cpl. Scott Mertens.
Weinhaus faces 10 to 30 years or life in prison on the attempted assault conviction alone.