Guilty
verdict handed
down
in murder case
by Shana
Haines
Landmark reporter
A Platte County jury last week convicted Cornelle Williams
of murder in the second degree, assault in the first degree
and two counts of armed criminal action surrounding a
Feb. 24, 2001, shooting in a Parkville apartment.
The murder victim was 21-year-old Rusty Clinton and the
assault victim was his friend, 21-year-old Nathan Quick.
Platte County Interim Prosecutor Tammy Glick said Williams
and his friend, Kevin Johnson, first made contact with
Rusty Clinton at his place of employment, Wheel Warehouse.
Upon learning Mr. Clinton's friend, Nathan Quick had a
set of wheels for sale, Williams and Johnson followed
Clinton and Quick to Quick's apartment off Highway 45
in Parkville.
While in Quick's apartment, Cornelle Williams pulled
an Intratec 9 mm semiautomatic gun out of his coat sleeve
and fired three shots. One shot entered Rusty Clinton's
head and the remaining two shots were fired at Nathan
Quick.
The jury deliberated approximately four and one-half
hours before returning guilty verdicts on all four counts.
The jury assessed punishment at 30 years on murder in
the second degree; 40 years on armed criminal action in
regards to the murder, 15 years on assault in the first
degree, and 40 years on armed criminal action in regards
to the assault.
"I thank the jurors for their hard work in this
case," said Glick. "The instructions were complicated
and somewhat confusing. They stayed focused on the evidence
and returned the appropriate verdict."
Williams will be sentenced on Nov. 21 at 9 a.m. in Division
I of the Platte County Circuit Court.
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