BIBB COUNTY, AL – What began as a routine missing person case in rural Alabama has now unraveled into a chilling murder-for-hire plot, with disturbing details emerging from court documents filed this week.
John Wesley Collum, 57, faces a capital murder-for-hire indictment after prosecutors accused him of orchestrating a gruesome crime alongside at least two others. Authorities allege that Collum was paid to kill Oscar De Santiago Soto, 36, whose body and pickup truck were both set ablaze and then entombed together in a remote excavation.
Investigators say the scheme unfolded in mid-June, when Soto, driving his green 1998 Ford Ranger, vanished from the Montevallo area. His disappearance sparked a multi-agency search, with police and the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation circulating his photo through local media as the days stretched on without answers.
The case took a grim turn days later. According to charging documents, Collum and unidentified accomplices allegedly buried Soto and his vehicle using heavy machinery, torching both in what prosecutors describe as an elaborate effort to destroy evidence. Details released by authorities paint a troubling scene—a pickup truck and human remains consumed by fire, then buried in a crudely dug pit off Randolph Road.
Bibb County deputies discovered the remains just about a mile from where Soto’s vehicle was last recorded. Forensic analysis later confirmed the identity of the remains as Soto’s. Between June 18 and June 27, prosecutors allege, Collum was directly involved not only in Soto’s death but also in the subsequent attempts to conceal the crime.
Collum now faces several felony charges in addition to capital murder for alleged financial gain, including abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and hindering prosecution. Officials say the homicide appears to have been motivated by money, though the exact sum involved remains undisclosed.
Authorities have disclosed that at least one other person has been apprehended in connection with the case, but declined to say whether formal charges have been filed against additional suspects.
Following his indictment, Collum was ordered held without bond at the Bibb County Jail. Court records show he entered a plea of not guilty. If convicted, the capital murder charge alone could bring a sentence of life imprisonment or the death penalty under Alabama law.
Soto’s killing, as described in the indictment, stunned the rural community and has prompted renewed calls for answers as the investigation continues. The area where Soto’s remains were found is now the backdrop of an ongoing search for further evidence and possible co-conspirators.
Collum’s trial is scheduled for September 2026. Local authorities continue to urge anyone with information about Soto’s disappearance or the events leading up to his death to contact investigators.