Raymon Napoleon Walton convicted of murder in Harris County well case

A Harris County jury today convicted the first of three brothers charged with murder in the 2001 death of Alkenyatta Wilson, an Opelika, Ala. man abducted from work and thrown down an abandoned well.

Raymon Napoleon Walton, 41, of Talbotton, Ga., was found guilty of malice murder, felony murder, kidnapping and theft by taking of a motor vehicle. He was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences plus a 10-year sentence on top of those terms. Walton could be heard sobbing after the verdicts were announced.

He tearfully apologized to the family and his own mother but maintained his innocence.

"I know I’m about to do time for something I didn’t do," Walton said.

Jurors delivered their verdict after hearing two full days of evidence and deliberating a little more than an hour.

Wilson's death shocked the community, but the cases have dragged on for years since the men were jailed in 2004. In closing arguments, special prosecutor Laura J. Murphree implored jurors to bring closure to a case that began 3,714 days ago.

"This case began as the result of an assault on justice," Murphree said. "Let’s find justice for Al Wilson."

Walton's defense attorney, Brad Gardner, sought to discredit the state's witnesses, suggesting many of their statements were influenced by the ongoing investigation. He also seemed to point the finger at Walton's half brothers, whom he said had more to gain by Wilson's disappearance.

“What did Raymon want to get out of this? What did he have to gain from this?” Gardner asked in his closing argument. “You have to decide for yourself what happened in that regard.”

The prosecution, meanwhile, has portrayed Walton as a protective older brother who wanted to keep Wilson from testifying against his co-worker Roderick R. Johnson, Walton’s half brother, in a theft case in Lee County. Roderick Johnson and brother Alexander M. Johnson have been awaiting trial on murder charges since February 2004.

Wilson allegedly disappeared from work one Friday evening in July 2001 after showing a mobile home to a man matching Walton's description.

Murphree said all three brothers conspired to kill Wilson. If Roderick Johnson was the brains of the operation, Walton was "the brawn," she said.

"He was the muscle," Murphree said.

Murphree lauded the witnesses for coming forward, particularly after Wilson, a witness in the Lee County theft case, ended up killed.

"There's an old saying, 'Snitches end up in ditches,'" she said. "You tell, you end up in a well -- that’s how it works with these folks."

Walton, who waited more than seven-and-a-half years before going to trial, declined to testify in his own defense.

Jurors this week heard from nearly two dozen witnesses, several of whom testified they heard Walton admit to killing a man. One former girlfriend said Walton asked her to be his alibi witness and lie about his whereabouts the night of Wilson’s disappearance.

Others saw Walton driving Wilson’s pickup and described Walton’s role in burying the truck in Talbotton. One ex-girlfriend said Walton burned some clothing and other possible evidence at her house many years ago.

Perhaps the most unlikely witness to emerge during the aging case was Troy L. Allen, a 39-year-old convicted felon who spent jail time with Roderick Johnson last year. Allen, who was recently sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for hunting with a rifle as a convicted felon, said Roderick Johnson told him about his brothers luring “a gentleman that was supposed to testify against him in a case.” He said one of the brothers “thought he had beat him to death and put him in a well out in the country.”

“The next day one of the brothers took Roderick to show him what he had done and upon coming to the well the victim was still alive,” Allen said, adding he did not believe Roderick Johnson was not involved in the slaying.

Jurors also saw graphic evidence, including images of Wilson’s skeletal remains and some rope found at the bottom of the well.

The case has taken an emotional toll on both the family of the accused and the victim. Walton's mother, who has struggled to maintain her composure, sat just a few feet behind her son during closing arguments. On the other side of the gallery, Wilson's family hoped for a conviction 10 years after their lives were unalterably changed.

"I know I will see my cousin again someday. Until then I pray for him and hope his soul finds peace," RaShana A. Donovan, a Florida police officer, wrote in a victim impact statement. "I hope those responsible for his death pay for their sins."

This story was originally published September 29, 2011 at 9:57 AM with the headline "Raymon Napoleon Walton convicted of murder in Harris County well case."