Trial for man charged with killing Lowndes County sheriff getting underway

“Big John” Williams / Source: Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office

Jury selection started Monday for the capital murder trial of the man charged with killing Lowndes County Sheriff “Big John” Williams in 2019.

The trial for William Chase Johnson is being held in Macon County. Last year, a judge allowed the trial to be moved out of Lowndes County at the request of defense attorneys. The courthouse in Lowndes County was named in memory of Sheriff Williams after his death.

FILE – In this Jan. 6, 2020, file photo, William Chase Johnson arrives at the Lowndes County Courthouse in Hayneville, Ala.  (Mickey Welsh/Montgomery Advertiser via AP)

Williams was killed at the QV gas station across the street from the Lowndes County Courthouse in Hayneville on November 23, 2019. Witnesses say Williams was telling Johnson to turn down his radio when he was fatally shot.

Sometimes known as “Big John” for his towering frame, the 62-year-old sheriff was well-known throughout the county. He spent more than 40 years serving the community. He started out as a reserve deputy in 1978 before moving to the Hayneville Police Department. Then he returned to the sheriff’s office and worked his way up to chief deputy before being elected sheriff in 2010.

Johnson was 18 when the shooting happened. He was denied youthful offender status in 2021.  Johnson faces the death penalty or life in prison without parole if convicted.