As Andrew Wesley Williams’ murder trial came to a close Wednesday, defense attorney Kevin Irving asked jurors whether they could trust the testimony of security guards who detained a man for loitering but failed to follow up on a murder in the same night.
But prosecutors say this is “no mass conspiracy,” instead, they say, evidence proves that Junon Tyree Snead was shot by Williams from less than three feet away as he turned to walk home because Snead refused to retaliate against the guards who detained their friend that night.
Williams, 27, is charged with first-degree murder while armed and three related weapons charges in connection with Snead’s death.
Police found 30-year-old Snead on May 14, 2011 around 5:50 a.m. crumpled on a sidewalk in the 3700 block of Jay Street Northeast, dead from a single gunshot wound.
Prosecutors claim that Williams and Snead both saw three security guards detain Antonio White in a parking lot around 2 a.m. after a group of men had been loitering there, and both men spoke out at the officers. But later, frustrated in a nearby playground, prosecutors say surveillance video shows a man matching Williams shift his anger to Snead before shooting him.
During trial, Antoine White told jurors that he returned to the parking lot that night when Williams asked him to retrieve his cell phone. Then special police officers working for the apartment complex put handcuffs on him, took his driver’s license and kept him against their vehicle for 10 to 15 minutes, said White.
Eventually, the special police officers released White and Snead joined the five men in a nearby playground. According to White’s grand jury testimony, Williams began asking Snead, “Where is your gun at?” and, “So are we going to do this?”
White said in the grand jury that he saw Williams had a gun earlier that day.
In his grand jury testimony, White said Williams sounded pretty angry at the time and said Williams was “trigger happy.” According to White, Snead responded, “Nah it’s not worth it—we’re on camera and everything.”
Then, White said he left because his ride arrived.
Jury deliberations are scheduled to begin Thursday.
Additional reporting by Kristian Hernandez.
