The jury recesses for the weekend without a verdict in the capital murder trial of William Chase Johnson

MACON COUNTY, Ala. (WSFA) – The fate of defendant William Chase Johnson now rests in the hands of a jury, which is actively deliberating his innocence or guilt in 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. Prosecutors say it was a capital murder. The defense says it was self-defense.

WSFA Roku William Chase Johnson Trial — William Chase Johnson trial(WSFA Roku Trial William Chase Johnson)

Jury deliberations began Thursday, about three weeks after they were brought in and selected for trial. Twelve citizens of Macon County began to discuss the case among themselves behind closed doors.

Late Friday, the jury was still unable to reach a verdict. The judge issued a charge to Allen, urging them to continue deliberations and try to reach a joint conclusion if possible. At around 4pm on Friday, they told the judge they had made no progress. The jury then broke for the weekend.

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

During Thursday’s deliberations, the jury had several questions for the judge, coming at him three times.

The first question was about the elements of capital murder, which prompted the judge to re-read the charge and how capital murder is defined by law.

The second question asked for clarification, legally speaking, about whether the sheriff was on duty when he responded to the Hayneville gas station where he conducted crowd control before he was shot. The judge instructed the jury that he could not answer that question.

The third question was to request a copy of the court transcripts, which the judge said were not available.

Sheriff John "Big John" Williams was responding 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)

While Johnson was arraigned on a capital murder charge, the judge instructed them on four possible decisions they could reach. Those possible verdicts include capital murder, murder, manslaughter, or they could come back and say Johnson is not guilty. The jury must first consider the capital murder verdict.

The judge instructed that if the jury could not agree on a verdict of capital murder, they could consider the other possible verdicts.

Johnson’s attorneys pressed the jury with claims that their client acted in self-defense, saying the sheriff was choking him with his gun drawn when Johnson shot him. The state says the science doesn’t match Johnson’s story.

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

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

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