YAZOO COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) – The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled on July 21, 2022, to reverse the 2021 conviction and sentence of the woman accused of killing her father in Yazoo County.
Courtney Williams appealed the conviction, and the Mississippi Supreme Court ruled the trial court abused its discretion by refusing Williams’ proposed jury instructions under Section 97-3-15(4). The case was remanded for a new trial.
Courtney was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 15 years in prison in connection to the stabbing death of her father, James Williams, in September 2019.
Investigators said James was found sitting inside his car. He was slumped over the steering wheel in front of his home just outside Bentonia.
According to prosecutors, Courtney was initially charged with murder. After the initial two-day trial, the jury convicted her of manslaughter.