By Madeline Buckley
Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO — Two separate juries late Wednesday found two men guilty of murder in the shooting death of a retired Chicago Fire Department lieutenant following a botched carjacking.
Lt. Dwain Williams, 65, was killed on Dec. 3, 2020 as he was leaving a Southwest Side popcorn shop, having just purchased the gourmet snack for the holidays.
In what began as a rare triple jury trial, prosecutors alleged that Dwain Johnson, Devin Barron and Jaylen Saulsberry, spotted Williams driving a Jeep decked out in Christmas decorations and chose him as a mark to hijack the vehicle.
But the plan went wrong, the prosecutors said, when Williams fired back after the three defendants and a fourth 15-year-old approached him with a gun.
The crew shot and killed Williams before fleeing, prosecutors said.
“What should have been an unremarkable day turned into one of violence and death,” said Assistant State’s Attorney Sara Grgurovic last week during opening statements.
The three men began standing trial last week on murder charges in front of three separate juries called for one case — the most in recent memory, according to court staff.
The setup allowed the men charged to present different defenses, particularly when their interests may not align, while ensuring that witnesses don’t need to be called for three separate trials that would gobble up additional time on the court’s calendar.
The case took a surprise turn, though, on Tuesday when Johnson struck a plea deal with prosecutors in exchange for his testimony against his co-defendants. Johnson pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of aggravated battery with a firearm with prosecutors recommending a 30-year sentence. His jury was dismissed.
Dwain Williams’ family lined the gallery during the trial. He spent more than two decades with the Chicago Fire Department after joining in 1992. His last assignment was at the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications.
“He put his whole heart into the city,” his wife, Karen Armstrong-Williams, told the Tribune in 2020 shortly after his death.
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