‘Not gonna give up.’ Family of Columbus homicide victim speaks after suspect’s hearing
A man charged with murder in the Thanksgiving shooting death of Grady Williams plead not guilty during an initial hearing.
Detective Jason Carden detailed the events of that night and what led to Tyrone Washington’s March 3 arrest in Recorder’s Court Friday.
According to Carden, Columbus police were dispatched to an apartment complex on the 2000 block of Cusseta Road, in reference to a shooting, around 11:50 p.m. Nov. 28.
When police arrived on scene, they found Williams, 54, dead from a single gunshot and began a homicide investigation shortly after.
Anonymous tips sent in to police indicated a man nicknamed “Scarface” was the shooter. Further investigation linked Washington, 45, to the nickname, Carden said.
Washington was later arrested at a Columbus motel after attempting to flee police custody, Carden testified. Over a dozen witness interviews were conducted in the case and nearly all of them picked Washington out a photo lineup as being at the scene.
Carden testified that a witness told police that both Williams and Washington were together immediately before the shooting. After the witness handed Williams a plate of food and went to sit down, they heard a gunshot.
A .380 caliber round was recovered at the scene and Carden testified that witnesses told police that Washington was known to carry a handgun of the same caliber.
Washington told an individual about his involvement in the shooting, prompting that individual to go to the Public Safety Center, Carden said. The individual’s account matched what police found in their investigation.
Outside of the courtroom, members of Williams’ family spoke about how relieved they were knowing that the case was hopefully nearing its conclusion.
Kenyona Williams, daughter of Grady Williams, wiped away tears as he spoke about her father.
“He’s not here to fight but we here. We’re not gonna give up until it’s over,” Kenyona said.
Judge Julius Hunter bound the case over to Muscogee Superior Court and did not set a bond due to the nature of the charges.
This story was originally published March 6, 2020 at 12:59 PM.