DECATUR â Charges that Decatur man Joseph Luckee Vincent Williams tried to shoot to death two of his neighbors were dismissed Monday in Macon County Circuit Court.
Williams, 22, who has always maintained his innocence, wasnât entirely happy, however. He had appeared in court representing himself and objected to Judge Jeffrey Geisler agreeing to a prosecution request to dismiss two counts of attempted murder âwithout prejudice,â which means prosecutors could refile them at a future date.
The judge also dismissed one count of home invasion involving the discharge of a firearm, two counts of aggravated battery alleging firearm discharge, two counts of Williams being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon while having a prior conviction for the same offense.
He entered not guilty pleas on all counts.
Blazich, 52, had first appeared in Macon County Circuit Court Sept. 16, 2020, for a preliminary hearing on identical charges involving the same victim and had also entered not guilty pleas. Judge James Coryell ruled in that hearing there was sufficient evidence to try him on all counts.
Blazich
But that case was dismissed at a hearing Dec. 11 after Macon County Stateâs Attorney Scott Rueter said an assistant stateâs attorney in his office had made him aware of âevidentiary issues.â Rueter, who was only elected as stateâs attorney in November, decided the case started under his predecessor could not proceed at that time.
Monday, Feb. 22, marks the arrival of sweeping new criminal justice reforms opposed by those in law enforcement.Â
Decatur police detective Barry Hitchens testified during the preliminary hearing that there had been a knock at the door Christmas night, and the brother opened it to be confronted by Banks, armed with a gun, who came in past him and kept firing as he pursued a fleeing Murphy.
Hitchens testified Murphy suffered fatal wounds to the chest and abdomen. No motive for the killing was mentioned during testimony and none was offered during Wednesdayâs plea hearing.
Assistant Macon County Stateâs Attorney Tom Wheeler said after Wednesdayâs hearing that the lack of physical evidence linking Banks to the scene and the fact the case hinged on limited witness testimony was taken into consideration when negotiating the plea.Â
1911
Third picture of 1911 police department: front row, Wilson, Royse, Kossick, Stone, Donahue; back row, Dayton, Harding, Imboden. H&R file photo
1911
One of three pictures of part of 1911 police department staff: McDermitt, Delaney, McDaniels, Pound, Brunsfield, Kemp.Â
1911
1911 police department: front row, Stephens, Glasgow, Lewshinski, Welty; back row, Price, Wheeler, Park. H&R file photo
1924
1924: Decatur Police Department are top row, left to right, mayor Elmer Elder, captain R.A. Thornell, C.P. Elder, assistant chief Scott Gulliford, Sgt. Fred Meece, John Fink; second row, W.M. Park, Con Doherty, Sgt. T.J. Collins, Sgt. Stephen Wood, Harry Lovejoy, C.E. Martin, George Geer and Frank Bunkle; third row, R.E. Pound, Ben Taylor, Frank Dennis, Carl Phillips, W.R. Adams, E.W. Larrick, Virgil Belcher, C.A. Dickerson; front row, D.E. Baucom, B.T. Perkins, J.H. Wiggins, C.C. Aydelott, chief Omer Davenport, Robert Hankins, W.M. Markwell, C.T. Allen