Man sentenced for 2020 'execution style' murder in Norcross
Hakiem Sherif Williams, courtesy of the Gwinnett County Police Department.
NORCROSS, Ga. - A Gwinnett County man will spend the rest of his life in jail for shooting someone "execution-style," according to Gwinnett County prosecutors.
What we know:
A jury found 29-year-old Hakiem Sherif Williams guilty of malice murder, felony murder, armed robbery and aggravated assault for a shooting at a Norcross Motel 6 in 2020. The Gwinnett District Attorney's Office says a judge sentenced Williams to life in prison with 20 years added on and no chance of parole.
What they're saying:
"This heinous robbery scheme caused irreparable damage to these victims and to their families," said Gwinnett District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson. "Though the verdict won’t make these victims and their families whole, we hope that justice will help bring them solace."
The backstory:
Gwinnett County police say Williams decided to rob two men, Mihn Nguyen and Cheng Xiu, after he learned they had a backpack full of cash.
On Sept. 6, 2020, Williams sold the victims drugs in their hotel room and arranged to get a stripper to their room, officials said. The three men went to pick up the stripper, Mary Jo Tarr, whom Williams knew.
Back at the hotel room, Williams had Tarr distract Nguyen and Xiu while he went into the bathroom and pulled out a gun, police say. When Williams came out of the bathroom and tried to rob the men, Nguyen tried to fight back. Williams then shot him in the face and head, according to prosecutors. He also shot Han in the head.
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Nguyen died while Han survived, but is now blind.
After the shooting, Williams and Tarr grabbed the money and got in a car with Williams' girlfriend and children. The three drove to Wilmington, North Carolina, where Tarr split up with them, according to officials. Tarr confessed what happened to the person she was staying with, and police received an anonymous 911 call about the killing.
Tarr testified about the murder during Williams' trial.
The Gwinnett DA says they tracked Williams down using facial recognition and brought him back to face the charges.
What we don't know:
It's unclear if police charged Williams' unidentified girlfriend with any crimes.
The Source: Information for this article came from past reporting by FOX 5 and a press release by the Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office.