Smackover man to serve 34 years for theft, murder

EL DORADO — A Smackover man was sentenced to 34 years in prison on Tuesday after pleading guilty to charges including second-degree murder and theft of property.

James Weldon Greer, 39, pleaded guilty as part of an agreement negotiated between his defense attorney, Gary McDonald, and Carla Gibson, deputy prosecuting attorney for the 13th Judicial Circuit prosecuting attorney’s office, according to court records.

Greer initially faced charges including first-degree murder, two counts of possession of a firearm by certain persons and theft of property.

Court records state that Union County sheriff’s office deputies responded on Oct. 5 to a report on Lisbon Road of a victim with a gunshot wound. Deputies found the victim, William Moore, lying unresponsive on the ground behind his vehicle with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to his upper chest. Moore was found to be dead by responding medical personnel.

Greer, who resided at the Lisbon Road address, according to court records, first told officers that he was standing about 20 yards from Moore when he “heard a gunshot” and saw Moore on the ground. Greer told officers that he then asked another person at the residence to call 911.

Following further investigation, sheriff’s office detectives found that Greer was captured on security camera at Moore’s residence stealing items, including a .22-caliber pistol and a speaker.

Moore, investigators determined, had come to the residence to confront Greer about the stolen items. Investigators found the stolen pistol in Greer’s residence, and Greer was taken into custody on firearms-related charges.

Moore was sentenced to 30 years in prison on an amended charge of second-degree murder and four years for theft of property, with the sentences set to run consecutively. The charges of possession of a firearm by certain persons were not prosecuted as part of the plea deal.