Preston T. Williams was found not guilty Friday of murder and tampering with physical evidence. Williams remains in custody on other charges of kidnapping and intimidating a witness in the legal process that happened at another time.
When Owensboro Times spoke with Commonwealth Attorney Bruce Kuegel, he did not wish to comment on the result of the case.
Williams, 27, was accused of the Dec. 4, 2016, shooting and murder of Jerard Fountain. He was charged with murder after investigators uncovered video footage that shows Fountain approaching a Lexus vehicle believed to have been occupied by Williams at the time. Fountain was shot thereafter, as was Williams, and witness testimony is alleged to corroborate what video surveillance shows.
Williams has maintained his innocence since the Dec. 4 incident, entering Tuesday’s trial with a not guilty plea. Williams’ co-suspect in the trial, Donte M. Washington, 26, faced trial as a facilitator in the alleged murder, but a jury found Washington to be not guilty on March 30.
Kuegel questioned nearly 30 witnesses during the trial, ranging from Owensboro Police Department officers and detectives, to medical examiners, to people believed to have witnessed the incident.
