On a Friday afternoon, December 9, 2022, 34-year-old Courtney Owens was at her job at the Royal Court Motors car dealership in Snellville, Georgia. Suddenly, a man wearing a mask and carrying a firearm entered the business. The intruder forced Owens to her knees before shooting her, then fled the scene on foot. Police responded to a 'person shot' call around 2:30 p.m. and found Owens deceased inside the dealership from a gunshot wound.
Initially, the motive was unknown, but investigators suspected the shooter may have known Owens or the business. The investigation led Gwinnett County police to identify 23-year-old Wesley Vickers of Lilburn as the gunman. In early January 2023, nearly a month after the shooting, Vickers was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, felony murder, and malice murder.
The investigation did not end with Vickers' arrest. Authorities soon identified a second suspect, 41-year-old Stoney Williams of Conyers, who was Courtney Owens' ex-boyfriend and business partner at the car dealership. Investigators believe that as their personal and business relationships were coming to an end, Williams hired Vickers to kill Owens, wanting the business for himself. Williams allegedly paid Vickers $20,000 for the murder. After Vickers' arrest, Williams disappeared, even creating a tribute page on Facebook for Owens before he fled.
A warrant was issued for Williams on charges of malice murder, felony murder, and aggravated assault. He remained at large for several months until he was located and arrested in Pasadena, Texas, in April 2023. In a development that drew criticism from the victim's friends, Stoney Williams entered into a plea agreement in March 2024. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, and his sentence amounted to the approximately 11 months he had already served in jail, allowing him to avoid further prison time. Wesley Vickers was also convicted in connection with the murder.
