A Georgia man is charged with murder in the shooting death of 17-year-old Haley Hutcheson early Sunday.
William Marcus Wilson turned himself in to police on Wednesday. He was accompanied by his attorney, who said Wilson was protecting his girlfriend when the fatal shot was fired.
The 21-year-old told police he was out with his girlfriend around midnight in Sharpsburg, GA, when they encountered a group of white teens who called them racial
Sharpsburg is located about 40 miles south of Atlanta. Georgia is a Stand Your Ground state.
After Wilson and his girlfriend decided to leave, the teens followed them, driving behind him and screaming racial slurs while playing music from the thriller movie “The Purge.”
When the other group tried to drive them off the road, Wilson fired a warning shot, striking Haley Hutcheson, one of the people in the truck, according to a Change.org petition.
Statesboro Police Department later issued a warrant for Wilson’s arrest “after detailed investigative work, forensic findings, and tips from civilians,” according to The Statesboro Herald.
Wilson is charged with one count of felony murder and one count of aggravated assault in Hutcheson’s shooting death.
“This investigation benefited tremendously from information provided to detectives by persons in the community,” Capt. Jared Akins said. “As with most cases, the public’s cooperation was a vital element in ensuring a timely resolution to this homicide.”
Wilson is currently being held without bond in the Bulloch County Jail.
Wilson’s family created a petition to call attention to Wilson’s case and make sure he receives a fair trial.
Update: Hutcheson’s mother, Allison, posted this anguished message on social media.
Update: Haley’s sister, Brianna, commented that Alison is Haley’s stepmother, and didn’t really know Haley. She also asked why the boys in the truck weren’t charged.
