Howard Hawk Willis listens to ADA Dennis Brooks as the state makes their opening statement.
photo by Dennis Norwood
The murder trial, eight years in the making, of Howard Hawk Willis, was called to order on Monday at 9:08 a.m. by Senior Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood in the Washington County Justice Center in Jonesborough, Tn.
With the prosecution ready to proceed, Mr. Willis brought a motion to the judge, asking that the case be continued for another seven days. His reasons were that subpoenas had not yet been delivered to out-of-state witnesses and that certain documents he had asked for had not been delivered.
According to First Judicial Circuit ADA Dennis Brooks, “This case is a who-dunnit.”
Mr. Willis is charged with two counts of pre-meditated first degree murder and one count of felony first degree murder in the deaths of Adam Chrismer and Samantha Leming Chrismer, aged 17 and 16 at the time of their deaths. Both victims were from Walker County, Ga.
In opening statements, Mr. Willis attempted to portray himself as a humanitarian and an American. He used the relationship between himself and his ex-wife, saying she has “some sort of vengeance in this matter,” as a mitigating circumstance. His statement also included many accusations of wrong-doing by the ex and others involved in the case against him.
Meanwhile, the state has built its case on volumes of forensic evidence akin to what one might see on a television show such as “CSI: Miami” and “NCIS.”
As part of the motion, Mr. Willis called to the stand Mark Caudell, a defense investigator, appointed by Judge Lynn Brown, the previous jurist assigned to the case. Mr. Caudell testified that he had had problems securing the location of several witnesses in Arkansas and Maryland. Other witnesses had told the investigator that they had no knowledge of Mr. Willis and had only spent 20 minutes with him.
Mr. Willis seemed very much at ease in handling the questioning of his first witness in the motion hearing. The witness also stated that he had only reviewed the physical evidence; his review of the discovery was only at 50 percent. Mr. Caudell stated that in his time as a criminal investigator he had never had as little as 89 days to prepare for a capital murder case.
According to Mr. Willis, “Your honor, I am not asking for a long continuance, only seven days so that we may better prepare for this trial.”
Judge Blackwood noted that this trial was eight years in the making and that at one point had gotten down to within just days of being heard. As to the out of state witnesses, the court has no control over them.
In denying the motion, Judge Blackwood said, “Ladies and gentlemen, we have the courtroom, we have the jury, we have those others necessary to be in attendance, so we go.”
Several jury members were released due to medical and other problems. Alternates 15-20 were designated to replace the original jurors. The prosecutor in the case, Tony Clark, of the First Judicial District of Tennessee, asked for “the rule” to be invoked and any prospective witness was asked to leave the courtroom. At this point the judge identified the jurors and had them move to their correct seats in the jury box. The jurors all seemed to be in a good mood, laughing and whispering to one another. Judge Blackwood is also allowing the jurors to take notes during testimony.
The jury consists of seven men and five women, all from Knox County.
ADA Brooks made the opening remarks for the prosecution by introducing the jury to the following numbers: “16, 17, 104, and X47.” The ADA projected a photo of the two victims, taken by Olan Mills and paid for by the defendant. The ADA pointed out, “Adam was 17 and Samantha only 16 at the time of their deaths in October 2002. 104 Brentwood Drive was the address of Willis’ mother and X47 was the number of the storage locker rented by his mother, Betty Willis, and where the bodies were found. They were contained in two 50-gallon Rubbermaid containers.” Ms. Willis has since died.
“Samantha’s body was found bound at the wrists with zip ties, she was also bound at the ankles and had two bullet holes in the back of her head,” Mr. Brooks continued. “Adam’s body was found without its head and two hands,” he stated.
ADA Brooks also explained to the jury that Tennessee Bureau of Investigation forensic experts would give proof of various items that tied 104 Brentwood to the X47 storage unit.
Mr. Willis made an admission to killing the two teenagers on Oct. 6, 2002. As to determining the times of death, the forensic investigator determined that, through the age of maggots found in the containers, Adam died first and Samantha’s death was quite a bit later.
Ms. Wilda Willis, now Wilma Gadd, the defendant’s ex-wife, visited Mr. Willis in jail, wearing a wire, On Oct. 16. His words to her were, “I blew their brains out,” according to ADA Brooks. He later divulged the location of a chain saw, which was found along-side I-75 in Bradley County. Evidence found on the saw was tied directly back to the victims’ clothing.
After a ten-minute recess, Mr. Willis proceeded with his opening statement by saying to the jury that the state did not tell the jury he had been a resident of Georgia for several years.
He said, “They also did not tell you that the defendant had been originally charged with an unrelated offense and had asked for legal counsel for the first day. They did not tell you that the defendant was estranged from his mother and that he was up here on a mission of forgiveness to make up with his mother.”
He continued, saying, “They’re (the state) not going to tell you that they had been holding the defendant, doing all sorts of things to him, since August – not October, not Oct. 5 and 6 – but since August.”
“Everything the state wants you to believe is false,” he continued. Mr. Willis stated that on the 17th at around 11:20 p.m. he was thrown in a jail cell, naked, and was left there until the next morning. During this time, he said he had been placed on suicide watch to cover up their (the jail’s) actions. He said he contacted a New York attorney who began to speak in his behalf. He also said that the state did not want to admit to the unmonitored calls that were used to set him up.
Mr. Willis also stated that the investigation showed not one drop of blood and that if a chain saw had been used as said, “it would have thrown blood all over the house.” He also spoke about the weather in Rossville, during that time was rather hot and Adam Chrismer would not have been wearing the jacket they said he was wearing. “Ladies and gentlemen this is a set-up,” he remarked.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I think this crime is horrendous, it is terrible, but ladies and gentlemen, there are no forensics on that gun to tie it to me.” He stated next that the young murdered couple were associated with a street gang known as “The Crips” and were professional criminals.
Mr. Willis asked the jury to consider not only the evidence, but the lack of evidence, as well. He alluded to the state’s claim that the murders occurred separately of one another but said that a defense expert would clarify that matter for them. He then told the jury that as an American he was entitled to certain unalienable rights; rights that were put into place to protect those not guilty of being sent to prison.
He also argued that there was no evidence that either of the “kids” were ever in Johnson City prior to their turning up dead. He also stated that investigators and the attorney general’s office made great efforts to hide exculpatory evidence from him.
Mr. Willis described himself as a “good, decent man.” He went on to say that the case has never been fully investigated, that the prosecution “only wanted to rush this thing into court and get a conviction.”
His statement also included remarks about the competency of Samantha’s mother as an alcoholic, telling about her hit-and-run accident while drunk.
He went on to say that he tried to help the two kids but when they attempted to bring drugs into his house, he kicked them out. As to the portrait of the two, Mr. Willis said, “This was a present to the young folks; Olan Mills is not a pornography studio. There was nothing sinister about it at all.
He ended with a statement of “please do not rush to judgment.”
Judge Blackwood ordered an hour’s recess for lunch around noon.
(Email Dennis Norwood at sportswriter56@comcast.net. You can also follow him on Twitter at DennisENorwood or follow his updates on WGOW-TalkRadio 102.3)