In the summer of 2013, the life of William "Willy" John Furlong, a 48-year-old Caucasian male, came to a tragic and violent end in Omaha, Nebraska. A member of the Omaha Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, Furlong was a man described by friends as intelligent, funny, and a talented tattoo artist. His death on July 14, 2013, would unravel a story of conflict within the closed-off world of his motorcycle club.
On that July day, police were called to the Hells Angels' clubhouse in southeast
Omaha, where they discovered Furlong's body. Investigators later revealed that he had died from a gunshot wound. The initial investigation did not immediately lead to a suspect, and for a time, the circumstances surrounding his death remained a mystery to the public. Furlong was remembered by loved ones as a caring individual, with friends and family mourning the loss of a man they say was an amazing person.
The investigation soon focused on a fellow member of the motorcycle club, 47-year-old Jay Witt. A warrant for second-degree murder was issued for Witt, who had gone on the run. The search for him lasted for over a month. In August 2013, law enforcement located Witt in a stolen vehicle in Omaha and arrested him without incident. A handgun was found inside the car at the time of his arrest.
Jay Witt was initially charged with second-degree murder. He claimed that he had acted in self-defense. However, just before his trial, he pleaded no contest to a lesser charge of manslaughter, as well as use of a deadly weapon and possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person. Although Witt maintained his self-defense claim, prosecutors stated there was no evidence to support it and that he had shot Furlong three times. Witt was ultimately sentenced to 30 to 40 years in prison for the killing. In 2019, while serving his sentence at the Nebraska State Penitentiary, Jay Witt died.
