On a Saturday afternoon in Hickman, Kentucky, on October 1, 2016, a dispute in a field off KY 94 turned fatal, ending the life of 49-year-old Mark Wayne Williams. A lifelong farmer in Fulton County and a 1986 graduate of Fulton County High School, Williams was a familiar face in the local community. He was a man of the land, dedicated to his work and his roots in the Sassafras Ridge Baptist Church. His sudden and violent death sent shockwaves through the quiet, rural area.
The altercation that led to Williams' death stemmed from a reported land dispute with William 'Terry' Jamison, then 59, of Tiptonville, Tennessee. The argument escalated to a point where Jamison fatally shot Williams. Emergency medical personnel were called to the scene, but Williams was pronounced dead upon their arrival. An autopsy later revealed that he had sustained three gunshot wounds to his torso. The Kentucky State Police quickly began an investigation, which led to the arrest of Jamison on a murder charge.
Jamison was taken into custody and lodged in the Fulton County Detention Center. In August 2017, the case went to trial in Fulton County Circuit Court. After hearing the evidence presented, a jury found William 'Terry' Jamison, then 60, guilty of the murder of Mark Williams. The jury recommended a 20-year prison sentence for Jamison. The following month, a judge formally imposed the recommended sentence, bringing a legal conclusion to the tragic event that cut short the life of Mark Williams.
