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Jayson Williams Acquitted on Manslaughter Charge
Jayson Williams (left) awaits verdicts from the jury on the eight charges he faces at his manslaughter trial.
Former NBA star Jayson Williams was acquitted Friday of aggravated manslaughter, the most serious charge against him, but was convicted of trying to conceal the shooting death of a limousine driver at Williams' mansion.
Williams, 36, was convicted on four of the six lesser charges, related to tampering with evidence in the death of Costas ''Gus'' Christofi, 55, who was killed by a shotgun blast as Williams handled the weapon. Collectively, the charges carry a maximum penalty of 13 years in prison.
But Williams would probably receive a sentence of less than five years, the maximum for the most serious count. No date was set for sentencing.
The jury said it could not agree on the charge of reckless manslaughter. A scheduling conference to determine a trial date on that charge was set for May 21.
The defense argued that the shooting was accidental, saying a malfunction in the gun's firing mechanism caused the weapon to go off. Prosecutors contended Williams was handling the shotgun so recklessly that it amounted to a crime.
The shooting happened Feb. 14, 2002, while Williams gave friends and members of the Harlem Globetrotters a tour of his mansion in Alexandria Township.
According to testimony, Williams, who had a skeet-shooting range on his 65-acre estate, took a loaded shotgun from a cabinet in the master bedroom. He turned, uttered an expletive at Christofi, possibly in jest, and then snapped the weapon shut, and it went off, according to testimony.
Christofi was struck in the chest and died within minutes. Williams dropped to his knees and wailed, ''Oh my God! Oh my God!'' and ''My life is over,'' according to witnesses.
Source: AP
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