KY man updates defamation suit after London mayor doubles down on claim he’s in ‘pedo clan’
A Laurel County man suing London Mayor Randall Weddle for defamation filed an amended lawsuit Friday after Weddle and his lawyer held a news conference to double down on claims the man is part of a pedophilia clan.
The suit — one of two filed against Weddle this month — was adjusted Friday morning to include Weddle’s personal lawyer, Jeremy Bryant, and to add comments from Thursday’s news conference.
“To accuse a person of both criminal activity and serious sexual misconduct destroys the reputation, confidence, and ability of that person to function with the rest of society,” wrote Brandon Voelker, the lawyer for Elijah Jarvis.
Jarvis sued this month, as did brothers John and James Phelps, after Weddle accused the three men of a bevy of crimes during an appearance on a true crime podcast.
Bryant did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday morning.
The public fight between the mayor and the three residents began late last year when the three men were critical of the city after police shot and killed 63-year-old Doug Harless while trying to serve a warrant for stolen property. A mix-up in housing numbers in the rural area led police to the home of Harless, even though he was not listed as a suspect in the investigation.
Weddle was then a guest this month on a since-deleted episode of the podcast “True Crimecast,” where he accused the Phelps brothers of sex trafficking, drug dealing and murder, according to their lawsuits.
Neither John nor James Phelps has ever been charged with any of those crimes, court records show.
A third brother, Doug Phelps, was a school administrator before pleading guilty to possession of child pornography and tampering with a witness in 2013.
He was sentenced to three years in prison, but he was pardoned by former Gov. Matt Bevin in December 2019.
Weddle made similar pedophilia accusations about Jarvis during the podcast. He also has not been charged with any crimes.
John and James Phelps filed suit Feb. 14, and Jarvis did the same a week later.
The two Phelps brothers, both former Kentucky State troopers, claim Weddle’s accusations are false and intended to damage their reputation.
In addition to claiming the mayor’s accusations are false, Jarvis notes in his lawsuit that last month, county 911 officials tampered with a package of records he requested about last year’s police shooting, and that Jarvis was removed from a heated city council meeting in early February.
Voelker, the lawyer for all three men, said Friday he hadn’t decided yet if John and James Phelps’ suit would be amended to include comments from Thursday’s news conference.
At the news conference, Weddle and his lawyer passed out interview transcripts, police investigation files, emails, texts and photos they claim outline the trio’s crimes.
“I have been standing here for four years, trying to fight a corrupt system down here that has been controlled by a pedo clan,” Weddle said.
Kentucky State Police has not responded to questions about whether the three men are under investigation.
At the end of the news conference, Weddle and his lawyer gave the three men an ultimatum: Drop the defamation lawsuits by 5 p.m. Friday, or they will line Main Street in London with alleged victims and their supporters.
“If this case is still pending past 5 p.m. tomorrow, we are going down that rabbit hole,” Bryant said. “And we are going to find everything that is in it.”
In total, Bryant, Weddle and the city of London are listed as defendants in the amended defamation suit. Hosts of the “True Crimecast” podcast were included in the first version of Jarvis’ suit, but they were dropped from the amended suit.
Voelker reiterated Friday he has no plans to dismiss the suits.
This story was originally published February 28, 2025 at 12:24 PM.
