Another choir boy gone wrong.
Accused gunman was out on bail
Teen charged in deacon's death awaits robbery trial
By Sarah Huntley
Denver Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer
A 15-year-old boy accused of gunning down a church deacon was out on bail in an Aurora robbery case at the time of the shooting, court records show.
Clementus Cletus Williams was one of four defendants in a holdup Feb. 20 at a Safeway supermarket at 12200 E. Mississippi Ave. Williams, believed to be a lookout, was spotted running from the store just minutes after the robbery with a white plastic bag tucked under his right arm, according to a police report.
Officers arrested Williams and the others after pulling over the alleged getaway car. They found the teen sitting in the front passenger seat, the report said, with a handgun on the floor beneath him. A white bag full of cash had been stashed under the driver's seat.
Even though Williams was a juvenile, the Arapahoe County District Attorney's office decided the severity of the allegations warranted trying him as an adult. He is charged with kidnapping, aggravated robbery, theft of more than $500, felony menacing, several conspiracy counts and illegal possession of a hangun by a minor.
The teen was supposed to stay out of trouble until the case, set for trial in January, is resolved. Now, he faces much more serious prospects.
Williams surrendered to Denver police Tuesday after he was identified as a suspect in the slaying of Alonzo Witherspoon, a 65-year-old deacon at Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church.
Witherspoon, an Aurora city employee known for his community activism and ability to interact with teens, was killed last Thursday night in his car. Police said Witherspoon was shot once in the head after becoming involved in an argument with another motorist. Williams was booked on suspicion of first-degree murder.
Relatives said Williams is an intelligent boy who has struggled to overcome several hardships. The teen has not been enrolled in school since spring, district records show, and both his parents are serving time in prison.
"A lot of things that have been said in the media aren't true," said Sandra Williams, the teen's paternal grandmother. "I just feel he is getting an unfair break."
Sandra Williams said her grandson has not admitted to having any involvement in Witherspoon's death, despite news reports to the contrary. Those reports stemmed from comments made by Alvertis Simmons, an activist with the local Million Man March organization, who said he had spoken to relatives who told him that the teen said he didn't mean for the gun to go off.
"He hasn't spoken to any of us," she said, referring to Simmons.
The family is trying to piece together what happened, she said. "I can't tell you how heavy this is. It's a terrible weight."
At the same time, however, Sandra Williams said her heart goes out to those who are grieving for Witherspoon. She knows their feeling of loss, she said, because her daughter, Clementus Williams' aunt, was murdered, too.
"This is just a terrible tragedy," she said. "It's a tragedy for both families, both sides. We're all trying to get through this."
Annette Lewter, Witherspoon's girlfriend, said Wednesday that her family is having a difficult time sorting through rumors.
"When the police get with us and tell us what happened, that's what we'll believe," she said.
Detectives still have not determined a motive, but homicide Lt. Jon Priest said Wednesday that investigators believe the killing followed an argument. There is no indication that Witherspoon was being robbed or that he knew Williams, he said.
Contact Sarah Huntley at (303) 892-5212 or huntleys@RockyMountainNews.com.
© Copyright, Denver Publishing Co.
Accused gunman was out on bail
Teen charged in deacon's death awaits robbery trial
By Sarah Huntley
Denver Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer
A 15-year-old boy accused of gunning down a church deacon was out on bail in an Aurora robbery case at the time of the shooting, court records show.
Clementus Cletus Williams was one of four defendants in a holdup Feb. 20 at a Safeway supermarket at 12200 E. Mississippi Ave. Williams, believed to be a lookout, was spotted running from the store just minutes after the robbery with a white plastic bag tucked under his right arm, according to a police report.
Officers arrested Williams and the others after pulling over the alleged getaway car. They found the teen sitting in the front passenger seat, the report said, with a handgun on the floor beneath him. A white bag full of cash had been stashed under the driver's seat.
Even though Williams was a juvenile, the Arapahoe County District Attorney's office decided the severity of the allegations warranted trying him as an adult. He is charged with kidnapping, aggravated robbery, theft of more than $500, felony menacing, several conspiracy counts and illegal possession of a hangun by a minor.
The teen was supposed to stay out of trouble until the case, set for trial in January, is resolved. Now, he faces much more serious prospects.
Williams surrendered to Denver police Tuesday after he was identified as a suspect in the slaying of Alonzo Witherspoon, a 65-year-old deacon at Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church.
Witherspoon, an Aurora city employee known for his community activism and ability to interact with teens, was killed last Thursday night in his car. Police said Witherspoon was shot once in the head after becoming involved in an argument with another motorist. Williams was booked on suspicion of first-degree murder.
Relatives said Williams is an intelligent boy who has struggled to overcome several hardships. The teen has not been enrolled in school since spring, district records show, and both his parents are serving time in prison.
"A lot of things that have been said in the media aren't true," said Sandra Williams, the teen's paternal grandmother. "I just feel he is getting an unfair break."
Sandra Williams said her grandson has not admitted to having any involvement in Witherspoon's death, despite news reports to the contrary. Those reports stemmed from comments made by Alvertis Simmons, an activist with the local Million Man March organization, who said he had spoken to relatives who told him that the teen said he didn't mean for the gun to go off.
"He hasn't spoken to any of us," she said, referring to Simmons.
The family is trying to piece together what happened, she said. "I can't tell you how heavy this is. It's a terrible weight."
At the same time, however, Sandra Williams said her heart goes out to those who are grieving for Witherspoon. She knows their feeling of loss, she said, because her daughter, Clementus Williams' aunt, was murdered, too.
"This is just a terrible tragedy," she said. "It's a tragedy for both families, both sides. We're all trying to get through this."
Annette Lewter, Witherspoon's girlfriend, said Wednesday that her family is having a difficult time sorting through rumors.
"When the police get with us and tell us what happened, that's what we'll believe," she said.
Detectives still have not determined a motive, but homicide Lt. Jon Priest said Wednesday that investigators believe the killing followed an argument. There is no indication that Witherspoon was being robbed or that he knew Williams, he said.
Contact Sarah Huntley at (303) 892-5212 or huntleys@RockyMountainNews.com.
© Copyright, Denver Publishing Co.