The Murder of Summer Inman

I just recently finished watching the “limited series” called “Dirty John.” It is the story of con-man John Meehan who ultimately met his fate at the hands of the daughter of his wife/victim. I had thought about searching that case for a blog but ultimately decided to wait and yet as I moved on to the murder of Summer Inman I felt as if there were many similar things within the two cases. Of course the main difference in this case is that it was Summer who would lose her life and not those who had instilled fear in her.

In both the Inman case and the Meehan case the women involved expressed fear of their husbands to the courts and to those around them. Despite this it also seems that both women did not take that fear or the threats made to them as seriously as they stated to others. In both cases, especially in the case of Summer, it was as if they were poking their perpetrators. The Meehan case could have just as easily ended in the death of Debra Meehan or someone close to her just as it did to Summer. Do not take this as me believing that Summer “deserved” what she got because that is not the case at all. I am simply saying that certain measures should have been taken (or not taken) by the women to help ensure their safety. Instead there were actions taken that incited the anger of the perpetrators which ultimately made things worse for the women.

Summer Cook married William Inman Jr. in 2004. Most everyone called him Will, except for Summer, who called him Willy. Over the next six years the couple would have three children and live with Will's parents, Bill and Sandra. Will was an only child that was doted on by his parents and while most agree he was controlling of Sandra it was also allegedly commonly known that it was Bill that ran the entire household.

After her death investigators would find journals that Summer had written prior to leaving and filing for divorce from Will in June of 2010. Between those and things stated in court filings, including one for a protective order, it was said that Summer felt as she was imprisoned in the home. She stated that she felt as if she was a slave and that Will had sometimes hidden her keys and cell phone to prevent her from leaving the home. She had also stated that he had threatened to kill her if she left and took the children with her.

People that knew the family insisted that both Summer and Sandra were “kept” women who rarely left the home but when they did they were dressed entirely in black clothing. By most accounts Bill came off as a religious fanatic but investigators would dig deeper and believe it was more of a front for being a con artist than being a man of God.

Sandra and Bill had married in 1983 in Logan Ohio. They had been married at Faith Tabernacle church where they not only were members but apparently Bill had played music. Bill also worked in construction and over the years had help build additions to the church. At some point throughout out Summer and Will's marriage the entire Inman clan had moved to Florida for a few years where Bill and Will continued to work in construction. It is not completely clear what happened in the area but they apparently lost their home and returned to the Ohio area in 2008. As time went on and the family grew the four adults and the children all moved together from one place to another.

At some point Bill obtained his minister's license and it appears that at least twice in Ohio, both before and after their Florida excursion, he had attempted to organize a church and congregation on his property. He also established a non-profit charity that on the surface was to help the needy and homeless but investigators would later learn that it was nothing more than a front to scam money from people.

It is unclear if there was one situation or a combination of them that finally gave Summer the courage to leave Will and move back in with her parents with the children and file for divorce. Some indicate that inspiration came from a relationship Summer had developed with one of Will's friends, Adam Peters. There are indications that their relationship was at least made public very quickly after she left the Inman's home which led to speculation that it may have began before she left. I found at least one article that indicated that before Summer disappeared in March of 2011 she was living with Adam with the children she and Will shared. Two things that are clear is that the relationship did exist and Will and Adam had been very good friends up until that time.

After Summer moved out, filed for a restraining order and for divorce she and Will began fighting over custody of the children. It was found later that she indicated in journals prior to her leaving that she was set on having full shared custody with Will but for whatever reason it appears that she changed her position on that. For friends of the Inman family they say this was devastating especially to Bill and Sandra. Since Summer and Will had always lived with them through their entire marriage meaning the children obviously lived with them their entire lives, friends say that Bill and Sandra's lives revolved around the three children. It was not completely clear just how much contact the Inman's had with the children at all after Summer left their home but it is clear that they obviously did not have the contact they had once had.

By December 1, 2010 the Inmans had lost their home. Summer was very openly dating Adam Peters by now. For whatever reason it appears that Summer had not taken all of her things some five months earlier when she moved out of the home. On that day, as the Inmans were moving Summer came to their home with both Adam and a police officer in tow to retrieve the rest of her things. Adam's presence irritated especially Bill who repeatedly threatened Adam insisting he leave their property. The reasonable thing it seems is that the deputy who had accompanied them would have insisted that Adam at the very least remain out of sight and not be in the middle of things but by all appearance that did not happen. However it does seem that when Bill lunged for Adam the deputy got between them and Bill began “wrestling” with the deputy. Bill was arrested on several misdemeanor charges including disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. He was eventually fined and given a sentence of probation.

By March of 2011 it seems that summer worked at a job in which she cleaned businesses after closing. On the night of March 22^nd she was cleaning at a bank in Logan. Around 11:00 that night Summer went outside in the back of the bank to dump trash. Three witnesses saw two men grab her and force her into a car in which a woman was driving. One of the witnesses attempted to intervene but claimed that the woman sprayed them with pepper spray. The two other witnesses had been out jogging. After seeing the incident they jogged to the police station that was only about a block and a half away. They would later say that when they reported what they had seen they were met with disbelief and were all but told that officers were busy in other areas at the time. By most accounts nothing was officially written down and reported.

The following day after Summer had not returned home her mother went to the bank and in the alley, where she had been taken she found Summer's IPOD and other personal items. Summer's father would call 911 and report his daughter missing. It was then that the police it seems finally took the report seriously and began looking for Summer Inman. Investigators of course began their investigation with the rest of the Inmans.

It is not clear exactly what evidence led to their arrest just two days after Summer was abducted. It could have been the eye witnesses among other things. It was said that about twelve hours after the abduction the family went to a local salvage yard and despite workers there thinking the tires on their vehicle looked fine Bill insisted that they get new ones. The family was also seen on a surveillance video from a car wash thoroughly cleaning their vehicle. It seems that the initial charges that they faced were kidnapping considering at that point investigators had no idea where Summer could be located.

After spending about five days in jail Sandra gave an interview to investigators with a new story, one that led to the body of her daughter-in-law. It can be said that many times, if not most often, when someone confesses to a crime, especially one where others were also involved, not all of the facts are completely true. In most cases a perpetrator will attempt to lessen their culpability and put more on the others. Then there are cases such as this. In my opinion when Sandra confessed, based on all the information learned of her behavior, she indicated that she was likely more involved, at least in the decision making, than most believe. While she did implicate her son as being the one who had actually murdered Summer, she also seemed to attempt to lessen Will's culpability by saying it was an accident.

According to Sandra's confession it was her idea to “kidnap” Summer in order to “talk” to her. Sandra would all but admit that the pending divorce was devastating to her especially in the aspect that she no longer saw her grandchildren as she once had. I cannot say if Sandra told investigators how they knew where Summer was working on that particular night or if it that was simply not made to the public. However, Sandra stated that when they found Summer Will had put zip-ties on her wrists and she was placed in the backseat of the car. At some point Will also put a zip-tie around Summer's neck and this is where Sandra states that Will “accidentally” strangled her, causing her death. It's obviously hard to imagine that someone put a zip-tie around someone's neck and then the person died by strangulation on “accident.” In her confession Sandra told the authorities that after her death they had taken her body and placed it in the septic tank on the property of the Faith Tabernacle church.

Investigators recovered Summer's body and ultimately both Will and Bill were indicted on murder charges by a grand jury. They were also indicted on charges of kidnapping, tampering with evidence and gross abuse of a corpse. The prosecutor on the case announced they were asking for the death penalty for father and son.

I found little “play by play” information about Will's trial in June of 2012 or his father's in February of 2013. Since their cases did go to trial they obviously maintained some sort of innocence throughout it appears. Both men would ultimately be convicted on all charges although they did not receive the death penalty. They were both sentenced to life without parole. There was talk that Will had gotten irate after Adam Peters, Summer's boyfriend, had posted a picture of himself with Summer and the children on his Facebook page. For her part Sandra accepted a guilty plea and in June of 2012, a week after her son's conviction she was given a sentence of fifteen years to life meaning she had to serve at least fifteen years before being eligible for parole. Her first hearing is scheduled for February of 2026.

While no one believes that Summer deserved in any way to be murdered that it was the actions in which involved Adam that sent Will, and possibly his parents over the edge. Sandra's attorney would state at her sentencing that she believed that Adam was mistreating the children and this is one of the reasons she wanted to “talk” to her. Others have pointed out the situation with the picture Adam posted on Facebook as “poking at the bear” called Will. It seemed to many as if Adam and Summer were flaunting their relationship in front on him. That is not to say that Summer did not have the right to date or be happy but she allegedly feared for her well being enough that she filed for a restraining order and stated some of the things that she did but then blatantly and openly had this relationship with not simply another man, but a man who had been good friends with Will.

By all accounts that I read it does appear that Sandra was remorseful for the actions that were taken. She apologized to Summer's family and was openly emotional in the court each time she appeared. As far as the men are concerned I never found any information that they ever cooperated with the investigation, admitted any role they played or apologized for any actions.