A tragic incident unfolded in Bibb County, Georgia, as a man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound during a police questioning. Christian Demond Williams, 23, was found wounded after police officers arrived at his apartment to question him about four escaped inmates. The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force had received a tip regarding Williams potentially having information about the jailbreak that occurred on October 16 from the Bibb County jail.
According to Bibb County Sheriff David Davis, when task force agents arrived at Williams’ apartment, a bullet was fired through the door. After a SWAT team was called, officers discovered Williams lying wounded inside. A woman present in the apartment informed the officers that Williams had shot himself. He was immediately rushed to a Macon hospital but tragically succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday morning.
The coroner confirmed that Williams died from a single gunshot wound, ruling it a suicide. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is currently conducting an inquiry into the incident as police officers were involved. An autopsy will also be performed on Williams’ body to gather further evidence.
Adding to the complexity of the case, Williams had been missing since March 5, the night before he was scheduled to stand trial for a murder charge related to a shooting at a Macon convenience store. Surveillance footage showed Williams being attacked by two individuals on his front porch. Both Sheriff Davis and District Attorney Anita Howard expressed doubts about Williams’ alleged kidnapping.
In connection to the jailbreak, Bibb County deputies arrested Jakaylen Billy Ray Williams on charges of auto theft. Surveillance video showed a Dodge Challenger, believed to be stolen by Jakaylen Williams, near the jail on the night of the escape. Investigators suspect that items brought into the enclosed area were used to aid the inmates in their escape. The four escaped inmates have been identified as Joey Fournier, Marc Kerry Anderson, Johnifer Dernard Barnwell, and Chavis Demaryo Stokes.
The abandoned Challenger was discovered in a Macon supermarket parking lot, just two blocks away from Jakaylen Williams’ apartment. He is also charged with aiding the escape, along with other offenses such as violating probation, criminal trespass, battery, and aggravated assault. Jakaylen Williams was initially arrested in neighboring Monroe County and released on bail.
Another individual, Mykia Mynesha Williams, was also arrested at the same apartment and charged with aiding an escape. The relationship between Jakaylen Williams, Mykia Williams, and Christian Williams remains unclear.
A combined reward of $73,000 is being offered for information leading to the capture of the escaped inmates. Fournier is facing murder charges, Anderson is charged with aggravated assault, Barnwell faces federal drug charges, and Stokes is charged with possession of a firearm and drug trafficking.
The investigation into this incident and the search for the remaining escaped inmates continue as authorities strive to bring them to justice.
