Two brothers found not guilty on all charges in 2021 death of man in Columbus
On Jan. 15, two brothers were found not guilty of all charges they faced in the 2021 shooting death of a man in Columbus, according to court documents.
Court documents show Johnte Damar Williams and Quinton L. Williams were each found not guilty of malice murder, felony murder and two counts of aggravated assault in connection with the 2021 shooting death of Demetrius Daniels.
Daniels was shot around 3:15 p.m. April 11, 2021, in the 4600 block of Reese Road, then a private vehicle took him to a local hospital, police said. He died from his wounds at 4:04 p.m., said Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan.
During opening statements, attorney William Kendrick, representing Johnte Williams, told jurors he expected them not to hear about any DNA evidence, fingerprint evidence, gunshot residue evidence or phone triangulation putting Johnte Williams at the scene.
Marie Pardue, public defender for Quinton Williams, told the jury evidence wouldn’t show eyewitness testimony or forensic evidence that tied either brother to the shooting.
“This is a case where a lot of small things are what the state is trying to use to paint my client as a murderer,” Pardue said, “and those things don’t necessarily mean what the state says they do.”
Testimony in trial for murder of Demetrius Daniels
The first witness called to the stand was Carol Stotser, who testified she witnessed the drive-by shooting while driving down Reese Road.
Stotser said a car in front of her by a few houses slowed down. Stotser said she saw some hands and arms coming out of the car with a weapon and shooting what sounded like an automatic weapon.
Stotser testified she saw a young man, who appeared to be running, come out from the front of the house and go behind the house.
When asked by Kendrick whether she saw Johnte Williams that day, Stotser responded she wouldn’t know who she saw and answered “I did not” when asked whether she saw anyone’s face.
Rodney Daniel was at the house on Reese Road when the drive-by shooting occurred, according to his testimony
Daniel said he remembered hearing gunshots that day and affirmed when asked whether they came from a car. Daniel ran to the backyard after hearing the gunshots, according to his testimony.
Daniel said, when he returned home, police officers were there.
Toreze Samuel and Stephen Strange testified they found Daniels behind a shed. Samuel said Daniels was lying on his back with his right hand up in the air, his eyes were open, and he probably had a faint pulse.
Samuel testified Daniels had a gunshot wound to his right shoulder. Strange testified he helped carry Daniels to a vehicle and transport him to a local hospital.
Detective Jacob Myers, a patrol officer at the time of the shooting, was the first officer on the scene, according to his testimony.
Myers said he observed shell casings in the roadway and a group of four Black males coming from behind the residence while carrying another Black male, who did not appear to be responsive. They put him in the back of a vehicle, Myers said, and left the scene. Myers said he could see blood on the front of the male’s clothing.