Man found not guilty despite video evidence from TV show
A murder trial that concluded Friday featured unusual evidence, video from the television show “Beyond Scared Straight” showing the defendant saying, “I killed a girl ... set her on fire ... If they ever let me out, I’ll do it again.”
Despite that evidence, the Oklahoma County jury found Earnest A. Williams not guilty of first-degree murder.
The jury, though, did convict Williams of accessory to first-degree murder, desecrating a human corpse and third-degree arson. The jury chose 15 years in prison on the accessory count, four years on the desecration count and a $10,000 fine on the arson count as punishment.
Williams, 34, of Oklahoma City, was accused of shooting Laquisha D. Towers, 26, of Oklahoma City, on March 2, 2013. Prosecutors alleged Williams shot Towers inside an Oklahoma City apartment, put her body inside her car and set the car on fire.
A defense attorney contended Williams has always maintained his innocence and someone else shot the victim.
During the trial, jurors were shown the video of Williams being featured on the A&E television show under the alias “Gangster Low.” The video was described as “raw footage” taken from the Oklahoma County jail in December 2013.
The video, lasting about an hour, shows Williams dressed in an orange jail uniform speaking aggressively to young boys and girls. He is shown shouting a mixture of foul-mouthed insults and life advice.
“Don’t let these streets suck you in … you’ll lose,” he told one boy. “Think about what you’re putting your family through … Don’t be me, man.”
At one point in the video, Williams tells a young girl, “Let me tell you something real … I killed a girl, shot the ---- out of her.”
He told the girl he shot the person seven times. Prosecutors alleged Towers was shot six times in the chest and once in the head.
Williams then tells the young girl that he shot the person’s boyfriend and brother, too. Defense attorney, Joi McClendon, contended that statement and others made on the video are inconsistent with the information in the case. The defense attorney told the jurors that a producer on the show told Williams to be more aggressive.
She said Williams’ statements were part of a “theatrical performance” for the reality show’s ratings. She also noted in her closing argument how Williams at one point in the video said he was in jail for something he didn’t do.
Assistant District Attorney Dan Gridley pointed out how Williams wasn’t told by the show’s producer “to confess to what you’re charged with.” The prosecutor also reminded the jurors how Williams said he was in jail because he got caught.
Near the end of the video, Williams says he has God in his life. He then proceeds to sing a gospel song that he wrote. “Only in Christ are we saved,” he sang.
A producer off camera then asks Williams if he can be aggressive while with the youths. Williams’ jokingly says, “I can let Ol’ Satan out of the bag.”
Prosecutors alleged Towers was killed in retaliation for the stabbing death of Williams’ cousin, Raheem Murphy. The man charged in that case, Ricky Lamont Cooper, was acquitted last year of killing Murphy.