In the summer of 2015, the community of Leland, Mississippi, was struck by tragedy with the death of 17-year-old Jacob 'Jake' Williams Jr. A rising senior and a celebrated football and baseball player at Leland High School, Williams' life was abruptly cut short on the evening of July 1, 2015, when he was shot on a street in his hometown. The Washington County Coroner pronounced him dead at the scene from a gunshot wound to his upper left chest. His father, Jake Williams Sr., was the police chief of nearby Hollandale and a candidate for Washington County sheriff at the time of his son's death.
The investigation into the shooting led to 29-year-old Antonio Dewey. Initially, Dewey claimed that the firearm had discharged accidentally while he was handling it. However, the circumstances surrounding the incident resulted in legal consequences for Dewey. In November 2015, a Washington County grand jury indicted him on a charge of manslaughter.
In August 2016, Antonio Dewey appeared in Washington County Circuit Court and pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Jake Williams Jr. During the proceedings, Dewey expressed his remorse and apologized to the Williams family for his actions. The court sentenced him to 20 years with the Mississippi Department of Corrections. He is to serve 15 years in prison, with the remaining five years suspended on probation. The District Attorney stated that the resolution of the case was intended to help the family find some measure of closure in the wake of their profound loss.
