Summary
Former Lawyer from Mississippi, LDS Bishop and Stake presidency member, Wendell “Shan” Thompson, was convicted in 2011 with felony child sexual abuse when one of his young family members came forward with accusations of sexual abuse. According to one victim, approximately between 2000-2018, during which time Wendell was serving in the stake presidency as a counselor. Allegedly, the abuse occurred for 7-8 years prior to the victim turning 18. It is unclear whether LDS church leaders knew about his abuse.
- Offense :Gratification of Lust
- Conviction Date :07/25/2011
- Offense Code :Section 97-5-23
- Location :HINDS MS
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Alleged coverup- Criminal: Convicted, Unknown result,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Positions: Bishop, Stake presidency counselor,
- During crime: Stake presidency counselor,
- Crime: 2010s, in Mississippi,
- Convicted: 2010s, 2011,
- Victims: Unknown number of victims,
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Born: 1963
- Mission: Sweden
- Places: Mississippi,
Sources
- Temple Marriage Announcement [Doe]-Thompson,
- Sex Offender Registry Wendall Shan Thompson,
- Trussel Family Includes Many Missionaries,
- Skinner suspended, Thompson protected. Justice?,
- Offender Profile Wendall Shan Thompson,
- Sharing Views (Served as Bishop of the Clinton ward in the Jackson MS Stake circa 2000),
- New stake presidencies,
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1. Temple Marriage Announcement [Doe]-Thompson
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2. Sex Offender Registry Wendall Shan Thompson
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3. Trussel Family Includes Many Missionaries
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4. Skinner suspended, Thompson protected. Justice?
Shame on the Mississippi Supreme Court and the Clarion-Ledger as they teamed up to protect the identity of a child molester. The Mississippi Supreme Court issued a reprimand, $1,000 fine, and thirty day suspension to Hinds County Youth Court Judge William Skinner last week. Judge Skinner recused himself on a case involving a local attorney convicted of gratification of lust, yet signed an arrest warrant several months later. The Supreme Court disbarred Wendell Shan Thompson in 2012 for his conviction, and stated Mr. Thompson's name throughout the order. However, the Supreme Court and newspaper saw fit to change his identity in all matters dealing with Judge Skinner. Order of suspension
Wendell Shan Thompson was an attorney at the law firm of Copeland Cook Taylor & Bush. He pleaded guilty to one charge of gratification of lust in 2011. Mr. Thompson admitted he "touched and rubbed" the um, private parts of his then fourteen year-old daughter (the court file is posted below). Hinds County Circuit Judge Breland Hilburn issued and suspended a ten-year prison sentence to Mr. Thompson. The court also imposed a five year term of supervised probation and ordered him to register as a sex offender.
Judge Skinner recused himself from the youth court case involving the children, as a court employee was related to the Thompson family. The case was reassigned to a judge from Warren County. Sources informed JJ law enforcement officials told Judge Skinner the parents intended to take at least one of the children and permanently leave the state - in violation of a no-contact order. They were unable to reach the judge assigned to the case. Judge Skinner signed the contempt of court order and issued the arrest warrant. There is no dispute Judge Skinner violated the law, as he signed an order in a case from which he had recused himself. A complaint was filed with the Commission on Judicial Performance against Judge Skinner. The commission recommended a reprimand and $1,000 fine.
However, things began to change when the complaint appeared at the Mississippi Supreme Court. The court added the thirty-day suspension to the sentence. That is indeed the court's prerogative. However, the court also changed Wendell Thompson's name to "Cooper" in the order. Wendell Shan Thompson is not mentioned anywhere in the order despite the fact the disbarment order repeatedly referred to him by name and stated he was convicted of gratification of lust. The Clarion-Ledger shared in the moral cowardice, as it refused to publish Mr. Thompson's name despite having a copy of the court file and instead referred to him as "Cooper". The Supreme Court and state newspaper thus refused to identify a man who was convicted of touching his own daughter in a sexual manner. The Clarion-Ledger stated:
The couple were given the fictitious names “Mr. and Mrs. Cooper” in the Supreme Court’s opinion “to protect the identities of the minor children involved,” the filing says. The Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance filed the complaint against Skinner on behalf of the couple, court records show.
Court records show one of the family’s children who had reached adulthood contacted the state Department of Human Services in late 2010 to report she had been sexually abused by her father for seven or eight years, ending when she turned 18, and that another sister, now over 18, also had been sexually abused as a minor. The first sister “contacted the agency out of concern that her father would repeat the pattern of molestation with her … younger sisters,” Skinner’s motion to dismiss the initial Judicial Commission complaint states. Article [link: https://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013308050008]
The two entities probably excused their willful omissions on the grounds they were protecting a child's identity. However, it is a sick perversion of justice where someone is allowed to escape public shame because the child he molested happened to be a family member. Thus the more perverse the crime the better protected the pervert is. That is perverted. There is a balancing test between striking all possible references to a victim's identity and the public's right to be protected from a child molester. The convict in this case is not in prison but roaming free on the streets. His identity is kept secret. There was little, if any media coverage of his crime. However, the judge who tried to protect the children is suspended and shamed by the Supreme Court and the media, while the sicko who touched his own child is protected by the same court and media. It is also interesting that the Mississippi Bar does not even list Mr. Thompson in its lawyer directory - not even as "disbarred". Firnist Alexander, Rex Foster, and Dickie Scruggs wishes they were so lucky. The Mississippi Bar, Mississippi Supreme Court, and Clarion-Ledger should congratulate themselves on a "job" well-done.
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5. Offender Profile Wendall Shan Thompson
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6. Sharing Views (Served as Bishop of the Clinton ward in the Jackson MS Stake circa 2000)
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7. New stake presidencies
Documents
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Criminal case documents
FLOODLIT does not have a copy of a related probable cause affidavit. Please check back soon or contact us to request that we look for one.Civil case documents
We do not know of any related civil cases, so no related civil case documents exist. If you have information that suggests otherwise, please contact us.
