On a tragic afternoon in Pierce County, Georgia, 64-year-old Alfred Franklin Boatwright, a White male, was shot and killed during an armed robbery at his small convenience store near Bristol. The date was June 22, 1981, and with him was his employee, 58-year-old Morris Highsmith, who was also fatally shot. The crime, which netted the perpetrator a mere ninety dollars, cut short the lives of two men and set in motion a sequence of events that would lead to a capital murder conviction.
The man responsible for the deaths of Boatwright and Highsmith was Willie James Wilson, Jr., a 25-year-old soldier who had left his post at Fort Stewart. In the days leading up to the murders, Wilson had been traveling with a friend, Darris Miller, and had discussed committing a robbery due to his financial struggles. On that Monday afternoon, Wilson entered Boatwright's store armed with a pistol. Wilson later claimed a misunderstanding and an exchange of profane words with Boatwright led to the shooting, stating he feared Highsmith was reaching for a weapon. However, no weapons were found in the store. After shooting both men, Wilson took the cash from the counter and fled.
Despite his attempt to escape, Willie James Wilson, Jr. was apprehended in Hinesville. He confessed to the shootings and the robbery, though he maintained that the theft was an afterthought and the shootings were not premeditated. His trial in Pierce County resulted in a conviction for two counts of murder and one count of armed robbery. The jury handed down a sentence of death for each of the murders and life imprisonment for the armed robbery. The Georgia Supreme Court later affirmed his convictions and sentences.
