All evidence shown in trial of teen accused of 2024 ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä smoke shop killing

With a felony murder charge, someone can be responsible for murder if the death occurs during a dangerous felony, such as robbery.

Bre’Juan Williams-Hampton, 15, already pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for shooting Martin. He testified Thursday.

Other shooting victim

Friday, Kanawha County assistant prosecuting attorneys presented the last few of their 13 witnesses and rested their case.

The witnesses Friday discussed two previous crimes the boys were charged with. Police testified that the shooting at the smoke shop helped them close two other cases from earlier in January.

On Jan. 21, 2024, Williams and Williams-Hampton were involved in the shooting of Christina White on Woodward Drive in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä. Police said the boys were trying to steal bikes.

White, who testified Friday, said she and her boyfriend, Ronald Whaples, were riding their bikes on Woodward Drive to look at a home for sale.

White said she heard a younger voice yell “Hey, you.� She turned around and didn’t see anyone.

She was shot in the head, right next to her left ear. The bullet went into her neck next to her “main artery,� she said, and had to be removed.

Since the shooting, her teeth on the left side of her jaw have been falling out, something she attributes to the shooting.

White said she didn’t know anyone in the area but had seen two “younger kids� when she and Whaples turned onto the street.

“That bothers me a lot still today that I didn’t know anybody or anything,� she said. “I didn’t know anybody to even get hurt in that situation.�

Williams-Hampton testified that Williams is the one who shot White. Using surveillance video from that day of Williams with his left hand in his jacket pocket, Kanawha County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Madison Tuck tried to imply through questions that Williams is the one holding the gun. Judge Maryclaire Akers upheld two defense objections to the questioning.

Whaples, White’s boyfriend, testified that he guessed the boys ran up behind White and shot her. The smoke was thicker around Williams after the shooting, he said.

Attempted carjacking

Eric Cutlip, the state’s last witness, testified about a carjacking the boys attempted on Jan. 24, 2024, outside of Mimi’s, 303 Patrick Street Plaza.

Cutlip said he arrived at Mimi’s in a red Mustang convertible that he was borrowing from a friend. The boys asked Cutlip for money. He said all he had was $20 he was going to spend to gamble at Mimi’s before going home.

However, when he walked into Mimi’s, he realized he didn’t have the money. He immediately turned around and walked out, saying, “I don’t even have the $20 I had to put in the machine.�

At that point, Williams pulled a gun and told Cutlip to give him the keys to the Mustang. Cutlip said he couldn’t because the car wasn’t his.

Williams pulled the action of the gun back three times. Previous testimony showed the gun jammed.

Cutlip got in his car and quickly backed away, ducking to be below the window in case shots were fired, he said.

The jury has been instructed not to consider how these previous incidents reflect on Williams' character. Instead, they are allowed to consider if the previous crimes show Williams and Williams-Hampton had been planning the smoke shop robbery together.

Next steps

Defense attorneys Ed Bullman and Herb Hively chose not to put on any evidence, and Williams chose not to testify.

The jury was released around 10:30 a.m. due to a broken courthouse air conditioning unit. Akers said the temperature on the fourth floor was around 80 degrees.

They will return Monday morning to receive jury instructions and hear closing arguments before beginning deliberations.

Williams is facing a penalty of up to life in prison if convicted of the murder charge. As a juvenile, he will automatically be eligible for parole in 15 years.