CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – After four days of testimony and the conclusion of closing arguments, the home invasion murder trial of Timothy Williams was declared a mistrial on Thursday. The reason: A juror revealed a distant family connection to the defendant.
On Nov. 7, 2017, two armed men entered a home on Hundred Oaks Drive and confronted four occupants; then gunfire erupted. Christopher Lane, 34, was shot and later died from his injuries. Lane’s father, Lonnie, was fired at several times, and two others in the home were held against their will. In April 2021, Timothy Lebrone Williams, 34, and two others were indicted on multiple charges, including kidnapping and first-degree murder.
On Thursday, the trial was shut down and reset to start over in July.
Closing arguments
“When they (Warren Broomer and Matthew Bryan) testified yesterday, it had been 2,640 days since this event occurred,” Deputy District Attorney Michael Pugh told the jury. “There was some minimization yesterday; Broomer said it was Bryan who set it up, Bryan said it was Broomer setting it up … pointing fingers back and forth.”
However, Pugh pointed out that parts of their testimony were the same: Both men said Bryan drove, everyone went to Ashley Flair’s house at some point, Bryan and Broomer bought a $20 sample of weed from the victim, Broomer entered the house with an AR-15, and Williams went in the house with a shotgun and shot Lane.
“In the course of the last four days, you’ve heard from 19 witnesses and seen almost 100 exhibits,” Stephanie Ritchie-Mize, Williams’ attorney, told the jury. “I promised you there would be no physical, forensic evidence that linked my client to this crime, and there isn’t.”
Ritchie-Mize said the jury heard testimony from two “bumbling idiots” (Bryan and Broomer), and choosing to believe even parts of their testimony isn’t OK.
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Juror sends note to judge
The jury left the courtroom to deliberate at 12:20 p.m. Less than an hour and a half later, the jury returned with a question for the judge, or rather, a statement.
Judge William Goodman III read the statement from the juror: “Ashley Flair is my cousin.” The juror explained that Flair was their uncle’s daughter, making her the juror’s first cousin, and distantly related to the defendant, Williams.
In prior testimony, Flair was identified as a cousin of the defendant, and also the owner of the house that Williams, Broomer and Bryan visited the night of Nov. 7, 2017. Pictures from the night of the crime were shown to the jury on Tuesday, and those pictures showed Flair and Broomer together.
Judge declares mistrial
While Ritchie-Mize said the defense was prepared to continue, Pugh asked for a mistrial, and Goodman declared it.
According to court records, Williams was arrested on May 4, 2021 and issued a $750,000 bond. He has remained in jail since his arrest. After declaring a mistrial, Goodman reduced Williams’ bond to $150,000, adding strict rules to Williams’ conditional release, such as wearing an ankle monitor and abiding by a curfew.
The trial is set to start over on July 28.
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