William Dathan “Wild Bill” Holbert: then and now photos

WNC native, girlfriend
admit to killings of five,
face trial in Panama City

PANAMA CITY, Panama — Finding the weapons of Hendersonville native William Dathan “Wild Bill” Holbert, who reportedly has confessed to killing five Americans, is now the focus of Panamanian officials.

Specifically, police are seeking a .38-caliber revolver and a .9-millimeter firearm that they believe Holbert used to slay the victims.

DNA tests were being performed on Aug. 4 to confirm the identifies of the three bodies recovered to date from Holbert’s home in Bocas del Torro.

The bodies reportedly were those of Michael Brown, his wife, Manchittha Nankratoke, and his 18-year-old son, Watson Brown.

Holbert and his partner, Laura Michelle Reese, remained in jail in early August, facing charges in the murder of Cheryl Lynn Hughes and Bo Icelar. The maximum penalty for the couple, if found guilty, is 50 years.

Holbert confessed to killing the five Americans to get their money and their property in a Panamanian resort area, according to press reports.

Holbert, 30, was in the very first freshman class of North Henderson High School when it opened in 1993 as a successor to Edneyville High. He graduated from North High in 1997. He played football, as a two-way lineman.

Holbert and Reese met in Asheville at the Body Shop, a gym where Holbert worked.

Man charged with allowing open sex acts at Arden club

ARDEN — The owner of an Arden nightclub was charged following a raid by agents in late July for allowing patrons to openly engage in sex.

Aaron Gabriel Dean, 39, owner of Blu Lounge at 18 Business Park Circle off Glen Bridge Road, was arrested by state Alcohol Law Enforcement agents.

Dean, a resident of Dundee Street in Hendersonville, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of allowing sex acts at an establishment licensed to serve alcohol. His unsecured bond was set at $500.

Undercover ALE agents and Asheville police investigators claim to have witnessed people having sex during three trips to the club while Dean was present, according to a search warrant application.

The ABC Commission in Raleigh could revoke or suspect Dean’s license to sell alcohol at the business, or it could issue a fine. Meanwhile, Dean is free to operate the club.

The probe was prompted by a complaint from a confidential source, which contended that Dean allowed patrons to engage in sex at the club on Saturday nights.

UNCA campus police note
bicycle thefts, pot charges

The campus police at UNC Asheville recently reported the incident/investigation reports that included bicycle thefts and marijuana possession charges.

Following is recent UNCA crime activity:

• The theft of a bicycle at the home of a student on campus. The incident was reported at 7 p.m. July 30.
Benjamin Fitzgerald Napper, 18, reported the larceny of his Trek Mountain bike, valued at $400. The bicycle was last known secure at 8 p.m. July 21.

• The theft of a bicycle from a nonresident at Parking Lot 1 on campus. The incident was reported at 1:45 p.m. July 29. Someone cut the cable and lock in the larceny, a police report noted.
Bill P. Hackney, no age given, reported the larceny of his Trek/8500 bicycle, valued at $500. The bicycle was last known secure at 10 p.m. July 28.

• Vandalism of a copier machine in the Health & Fitness Building on campus. The incident was reported at 11:59 a.m. July 23.

Diane Marlow reported to police that someone broke the paper stackers off of a Canon Imagerun copier, with damage valued at $800. The machine last was known to be secure at 10:30 a.m. July 23.

• A charge of marijuana possession was placed against two nonresident at 10:36 p.m. July 7 on campus.
William Joseph Hallman, 17, of 73 Gracelyn Rd., Asheville, was charged with possession of .04 oz. of marijuana, while Garrett Paul Hitesman, 17, of 28 Bassett Rd., Asheville, was charged with possession of .02 oz. of pot. The charge is a misdemeanor.

The report noted that Hallman was armed with a knife.