Suspect in Gwinnett car dealership killing arrested, accused of hiring hitman

Victim was his ex-girlfriend
Stoney Williams was arrested Friday in Texas in connection with the fatal shooting of a Gwinnett County car dealership employee.

Credit: Gwinnett County Police Department

Credit: Gwinnett County Police Department

Stoney Williams was arrested Friday in Texas in connection with the fatal shooting of a Gwinnett County car dealership employee.

The second suspect wanted in connection with the shooting death of a Gwinnett County car dealership employee in December has been arrested in Texas, according to court documents.

Stoney Williams, 41, of Conyers, is accused of hiring a hitman to kill the employee, 34-year-old Courtney Owens, who was also his ex-girlfriend. She was found dead from a gunshot wound at Royal Court Motors near Snellville the afternoon of Dec. 9, Gwinnett police said.

Williams was apprehended in Harris County, Texas, on Friday by the Pasadena Police Department and is facing several charges, including malice murder, the documents stated. Gwinnett police had asked for the public’s help during the months-long manhunt.

Details were not immediately provided on the capture, which occurred after the alleged hitman, Wesley Vickers, was arrested in January on charges related to Owens’ shooting death.

Officers responded around 2:30 p.m. to a person shot call at the Annistown Road dealership and found Owens dead from a gunshot wound, police said. A witness reported seeing a masked man with a gun leaving the scene on foot, authorities added.

Vickers allegedly entered Royal Court Motors, forced Owens down to her knees and killed her execution-style, police spokesman Cpl. Ryan Winderweedle said at the time. About a month later, Vickers was arrested with the help of the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office’s fugitive unit.

On Jan. 6, he was booked into the county jail on charges of murder, malice murder and aggravated assault, according to online records.

Wesley Vickers was arrested in January.

Credit: Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office

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Credit: Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office

Authorities said they believe Vickers was hired by Williams. They noted that Williams and Owens were previously in a relationship and were business partners at the car dealership.

In January, a detective testified in court that Vickers was offered $20,000 by Williams to kill her and make it look like a robbery, Channel 2 Action News reported.

Williams is being held in the Pasadena jail and will be extradited to Gwinnett, according to court documents.

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