UPDATE (March 12, 2020, at 2:30 pm) PRINCETON, WV (WOAY) – Jan McKinley Williams has been found guilty of second-degree murder.
After a three day trial, Williams was found guilty of second-degree murder after the shooting death of 29-year-old Jason Varney back in October of 2018 from a drug deal gone wrong.
Williams will be sentenced on March 26th at 9:30 am and faces up to 40 years in prison.
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PRINCETON, WV (WOAY) –Â The murder trial of Jan McKinley Williams has officially begun in Princeton.
Williams was accused of second-degree murder after the shooting death of 29-year-old Jason Varney in October 2018 in what was described as a drug deal gone wrong.
Williams has not accepted any plea agreements for his role in the death, and the trial was originally scheduled for January. Defense attorney John Austin asked that the trial be rescheduled to ensure there would be no weekend gaps, expressing concerns that the volatility of the case would stir up unnecessary excitement over the weekend. As a result, it was rescheduled to this week. Now as of this Tuesday, Williams’ trial is finally underway.
Leading the prosecution is Mercer County prosecutor George Sitler. The defense called various witnesses to testify about the killing of Varney, including a forensics specialist and 911 operator.
The trial will continue throughout the week.Â
