Gwinnett murder-for-hire suspect gets probation after county may have run out of time to try case

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A murder-for-hire suspect gets house arrest and probation in a plea deal after Gwinnett County may have run out of time to try the case.

Stoney Williams is no longer in jail and will not serve any time in prison after being accused of ordering a hit on his ex-girlfriend and business partner, Courtney Owens.

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Attorneys told Channel 2 Action News that the Gwinnett County district attorney may have missed the deadline, impacting their ability to prosecute the case.

In December of 2022, investigators say they received the initial call late Friday afternoon from witnesses. They believe the suspect walked in, shot Owens, and then took off.

“I was the one who called 9-1-1,” said Owens’ friend who goes by Cool Breeze.

Wesley Vickers, 23, was arrested nearly a month later on Jan. 6 and charged with felony murder, malice murder, and aggravated assault.

Gwinnett County’s Chief Assistant District Attorney John Melvin told Channel 2′s Mark Winnie that just last month the DA’s office got a conviction on malice murder and more against the gunman in the killing of a woman.

Melvin alleges Williams hired the hitman to kill Owens.

“He denies that he paid Wesley Vickers or anyone else to harm her,” said Williams’ attorney, Rob Booker.

Booker says his client would have been found not guilty, but it never went to trial.

“The District Attorney’s office should be out there apologizing,” Manny Arora said.

Arora is an attorney not affiliated with the case but looked over the case.

Last year, Williams filed for a speedy trial under Georgia law.

The law is meant to prevent folks from spending a long time in jail while waiting for their case. The speedy trial request essentially created a deadline for the county attorney to try the case.

“It’s essentially six months from when you file it to try it,” Arora said.

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That deadline allegedly passed in early March.

Booker then filed to have the charges against him thrown out.

“I think the state made an error in the timing of the case, and ultimately, I think that was a large factor in how the case ended up,” Booker said “That’s pretty significant. You accuse someone of murder, and then you drop the ball on the time to be able to try it.”

In a statement, a DA spokesperson, Marcus Garner said, “We have two convictions that are in accordance with the law in a terrible murder. The plea was negotiated after evaluation of the case and consultation with the victim’s family.”

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