Jury continues weekend without verdict in the murder case against William Chase Johnson

MACON COUNTY, Ala. (W.S.F.A) – The fate of defendant William Chase Johnson now rests in the hands of a jury, which is actively deliberating his innocence or guilt at the Macon County Courthouse.

Johnson is on trial for the shooting death of Lowndes County Sheriff John “Big John” Williams on the night of November 23, 2019.

Both the defense and prosecution agree that Johnson pulled the trigger, but for different reasons. The prosecutor said it was murder. The defense said it was self-defense.

The William Chase Johnson Trial(WSFA Roku William Chase Johnson Trial)

Jury deliberations began Thursday, about three weeks after they were brought in and selected for the trial. Twelve Macon County citizens began discussing the matter behind closed doors.

On Friday evening, the jury still could not reach a verdict. The judge issued charges against Allen and urged them to continue deliberations and reach a common conclusion if possible. Around 4pm on Friday, they told the judge they had made no progress. The jury then dispersed for the weekend.

Due to a new case in court on Monday, the trial will not resume until Tuesday.

During Thursday’s deliberations, the jury had several questions for the judge, which came to him three times.

The first question concerned the elements of capital murder, what prompted the judge to reread the indictment and how capital murder is defined by law.

The second question sought, from a legal perspective, to clarify whether the sheriff was on duty when he responded to the Hayneville gas station, where he was controlling the crowd before he was shot. The judge told the jury he could not answer that question.

The third question was to request a copy of the court transcripts, which the judge said are unavailable.

Sheriff John "Great John" Williams responded to an incident at a gas station in Hayneville... — Sheriff John “Big John” Williams was responding to an incident at a Hayneville gas station when he was shot and killed in the line of duty.(Source: WSFA 12 News)

As Johnson was charged with murder, the judge instructed them on four possible decisions they could make. Those possible verdicts include murder, murder and manslaughter, or they could go back and say Johnson is not guilty. However, the jury must first consider the capital murder verdict.

The judge has instructed that if the jury cannot reach an agreement on a murder verdict, it can consider the other possible verdicts.

Johnson’s attorneys pressed the jury with claims that their client acted in self-defense, saying the sheriff choked him with his gun out when Johnson shot him. The state says the science does not match Johnson’s story.

If the jury finds Johnson guilty of murder, they will also have to decide whether he will receive life in prison or the death penalty. If he is convicted of one of the lesser charges, it will be up to the judge to determine the sentence.

The case is being heard in Macon County after a change of venue to ensure Johnson can receive a fair trial.

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