Judge says four defendants should stand trial in Chester councilman’s killing

A judge ruled Tuesday that prosecutors can move forward with charges against four of the five men accused of killing Chester City Councilman Odell Williams on Nov. 4.

But the lawyer for the accused triggerman claims Williams shot at the suspects first, and the attorney vowed to fight a murder charge with a “stand your ground” defense that accuses Williams of being the aggressor.

Magistrate Yale Zamore’s ruling that probable cause exists for prosecutors to head toward trial came as no surprise. But the case that police said in November was a gang killing now seems to center on the suspects’ claims that Williams chased the five men for three miles and then fired as many as three shots at them before he was killed. Zamore ruled murder and weapons charges will stand against Christopher Moore, 18, the accused shooter, and accessory to murder charges will stand against Quinton McClinton, 26, Derrick Dixon, 20, and DeAngelo Roseboro, 20.

The fifth suspect, Terrance Buchanan, 25, did not appear in court for a probable cause hearing Tuesday, but he may ask for a hearing later. Police testimony Tuesday clearly showed it was Buchanan’s confessions to police outlining the crime that broke open the investigation and helped lead to the other four arrests. Buchanan’s confession, which came after he was arrested in November, alleges Moore was the shooter.

Moore, accused of shooting Williams with an assault rifle, did not speak during the three-hour hearing. But his lawyer, 6th Circuit Deputy Public Defender William Frick, said the case against Moore “clearly” hinges on Buchanan’s testimony. Additionally, Frick said, Buchanan’s testimony shows Moore was in a vehicle “being chased by Mr. Williams, and Mr. Williams fires the first shots.”

Gunshot residue was found on Odell Williams’ hands, and a handgun with two spent shells was found on the floor of his Cadillac, police said. However, police and prosecutors said in court that while the evidence shows Williams fired a gun Nov. 4, the gunshot testing does not show Williams fired during the chase.

Because Moore was being pursued, Frick argued, “my client had every right to defend himself” from Williams. Frick argued Moore shouldn’t be charged with murder; at most, the charge should be voluntary manslaughter.

Williams, 69, a retired Chester police officer who had been on the City Council since 1997, was shot in the head near the intersection of Roundtree Circle and Parkway Drive in Chester after he chased down the alleged gang members. Police said the alleged gang members were plotting to rob a rival gang.

Williams’ wife alerted him that heavily armed gang members were waiting in a driveway near Williams’ business.

Prosecutors balked at the claim that Moore was defending himself, saying Moore left the truck the gang members were in and lay in wait with an assault rifle before shooting Williams after the three-mile chase.

“The ‘kill shot’ came at the corner of Roundtree and Parkway – he (Williams ) was fine until that point,” 6th Circuit Assistant Solicitor Julie Hall said in court. “Moore was engaged in unlawful activity at the time of the killing. He does not have clean hands. When Christopher Moore got out of that car, his intent was absolutely to shoot Odell Williams.”

Frick also argued that DNA found on the assault rifle does not match Moore’s because it was mixed with other DNA. But police and prosecutors said that even without DNA on the gun that matches Moore, plenty of DNA was on two vehicles and a fence to place Moore in the middle of the killing. Additionally, witnesses say Moore, holding a rifle, tried to get a ride from them after the crime and even grabbed the car door handle, leaving blood and DNA.

“There is DNA on the scene that came from Chris Moore,” Hall said “Mr. Moore came up to the witnesses holding a large gun in his hand when he tried to get in the car.”

Buchanan’s confession says all five of the accused had roles in the crime. Prosecutors allege McClinton helped arm the men and secured the truck that was found immediately after Williams was killed. McClinton is a many-time felon who, at the time Williams was killed, was out on bond in another shooting case.

The truck was found nearby, and “it would be reasonable that the short distance and time that he (McClinton) knew what was going on,” testified Randy St. Clair, the Chester County Sheriff’s Office detective in charge of the investigation. Hall, the prosecutor, said it was “obvious” that McClinton was driving during the time leading up to the killing.

“When Chris Moore said, ‘Slow down, let me out,’ with a gun in his hand, he (McClinton) knew exactly what Moore was going to do,” Hall said.

But McClinton’s lawyer argued that the killing happened when McClinton was not at the scene so McClinton had no role in the murder. More, lawyers for Roseboro and Dixon, accused of being part of the chase and then helping Moore flee after the killing, also claim that Williams shot at the five suspects in the truck first. Dixon’s lawyer, Nathan Sheldon, said Williams sparked a “shootout” after he was “chasing the defendants.”

Moore and McClinton were denied bond Feb. 10 and remain jailed. Two of the defendants on Tuesday were not even at the defense table because the crowd was so large. Dixon and Roseboro, out on bond since last month, sat in the public gallery.

And Buchanan was outside the courthouse during the hearing. He was released on bond last month.

This story was originally published March 3, 2015 at 12:53 PM with the headline "Judge says four defendants should stand trial in Chester councilman’s killing."