The bench trial of the man accused of brutally murdering an elderly Knox woman after breaking in and ransacking her daughter’s home in Leiters Ford is under way in Fulton Superior Court. Roy Bell is charged with murder, robbery and criminal confinement in connection with the November 22, 2011 shooting death of Wilma Upsall. Photos of the crime scene indicate a telephone was ripped from the wall, and Upsall was bound to a chair with the cord and a knotted towel. Ligature marks were visible on her wrists, and forensic evidence indicates she was shot from behind with a .380. Bullet holes, casings and unspent cartridges were found nearby, and the master bedroom appeared to have been ransacked. Her daughter came home and found her slumped over in the chair. WKVI’s Anita Goodan is in the courtroom and says Upsall’s family members were visibly shaken when they saw the photos. However, Bell has shown no emotion so far. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. So far three state troopers and a state police crime scene technician have testified for the prosecution. Bell was apprehended at a home in Monterey two days after the shooting.
