A Gretna man was found guilty of murder earlier this month.
Leonard Antonio Williams, 62, was charged with one count of first degree murder for the 2022 shooting death of Willie Jackson.
Court records revealed the defendant and the victim were both romantically involved with the same woman, and both men had shared words with each other in the past.
According to a news release from the state attorney’s office, Jackson was standing outside of his van on November 5, 2022 at an area in Gretna, commonly referred to as “The Land.”
Williams pulled up behind Jackson, retrieved a firearm from the back seat of his truck, and shot Jackson four times in his side, the document states. Jackosn died on the scene.
The Gretna Police Department responded to the scene and quickly determined who was responsible for the shooting. The defendant was taken into custody, and during an interview he informed the police that he shot the victim multiple times with a rifle, the news release says.
The defendant claimed self-defense at trial, a claim which was refuted by eye-witness testimony and testimony from the forensic pathologist who opined that the injuries to the victim were inconsistent with the defendant’s statements.
The jury deliberated for three hours before returning a verdict of guilty of the lesser included offense of second degree murder.
Williams is set to be sentenced on April 3, in the Gadsden County Felony Courthouse.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney McLane Edwards and Assistant State Attorney Kalen Reddy.
Erin Hill – Gadsden County News Service