Amarillo police arrest former Sunray High principal, 2 others at hotel for drugs

Former Sunray High principal, two others jailed on drug charges in Amarillo

On April 23, 2018, at about 2:37 a.m., Amarillo police responded to a disturbance call at the Candlewood Suites on Western Plaza Drive.^[1]

An employee told officers that the guests staying in room 222 were acting suspiciously. Additionally, the guests were causing a disturbance with other hotel guests with people coming and going from the room.^[2]

The employee was scared of the guests staying in the room and asked officers to go to the room and have them leave.

The officers went to the room and knocked on the door, identifying themselves as police officers. Chad Edward Walker opened the door.

Officers talked with Walker and asked that him and the other room occupants leave the hotel. Walker agreed and went to pack his items,

The officers asked to remain in the hotel room while Walker packed--to which he agreed.

Chad Walker's wife, Amanda Leeann Walker, was also in the room when APD Officer Andrew Kreusel entered.

As Officer Kreusel stood in the hotel room, a third person walked out of the bathroom with a loaded hypodermic syringe. This person was later identified as former Sunray High School Principal Sidney Lee Whiteley

The officer also observed a scale with a white substance on it in plain view. All three people were then placed in handcuffs to investigate the paraphernalia.

Conducting a probable cause search of the room, officers located a large bag of white crystalline substance believed to e methamphetamine on the bathroom floor.

Chad and Amanda Walker were initially arrested on state charges of manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance.

Chad Walker was read his Miranda warnings, which he waived to give a statement.

Walker's initial statement was that he didn't know anything about the methamphetamine located in the hotel room bathroom.

However, in a second interview on May 7, 2018, he admitted that he bought the methamphetamine found in the hotel room bathroom on that same day.

The bag of methamphetamine was found to weigh 429 grams and had a purity level of 100%.

Whiteley, the former Sunray High School principal, was charged with possession of a controlled substance.

He had tendered his resignation to the school in December of 2017, which was to become effective in June 2018.

However, Mr. Whiteley was removed from his position on March 27, and his duties were assigned to other staff.

Chad and Amanda Walker were later indicted on federal charges of Distribution and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.

Chad Walker pled guilty to federal charges in December 2018.