Williams gets 40 years for murder

Richard Byrd/Columbia Basin Herald Jason Williams was sentenced to 40 years in prison for shooting and killing Christian Guerra in January 2015.

by Richard Byrd
| November 3, 2016 1:00 AM

EPHRATA — Jason Williams will be serving 40 years behind prison bars for murdering Christian Guerra outside of a Moses Lake fast food restaurant in January 2015.

Williams, 39, of Moses Lake, was found guilty of second-degree murder and three counts of first-degree assault by a jury in mid-September following a two-week trial regarding the murder of 22-year-old Christian Guerra in January 2015. The jury found Williams not guilty of more serious charges of first-degree murder and three counts of first-degree attempted murder.

Calling the death of Guerra a “senseless execution,” Grant County Prosecutor Garth Dano recommended the court impose a 45-year prison sentence on the four counts, which was well below the standard sentencing range of 53-69 years.

“We believe that the recommendation from the state is a just sentence in this case,” Dano stated on Wednesday. “We know that it would be a downward departure from the standard range in the case of 53-69 years, however we believe that’s the appropriate sentence given the facts in this case.”

Williams’ defense attorney, John Crowley, agreed the death of Guerra was “senseless,” but the attorney still argued that Guerra was the initiator in the events leading up to his death and his client was acting in self-defense. Crowley asked the court to impose a sentence of 20 years, stating a 20-year sentence is appropriate given the facts in the case.

Williams was given an opportunity to address the court during Wednesday's hearing. He used his time to offer his condolences to Guerra's family, but claimed there were misleading statements given during the trial by the state’s witnesses.

“I continually pray for Mr. Guerra’s mother, because during these times me and my wife have also lost a child and I do not under any circumstances wish this pain on anyone whatsoever,” Williams said. “I stand here today to ask the court to have mercy on my behalf and to take into consideration the facts in this case before imposing sentencing. Because I feel this may be the very last opportunity I have; I ask the Guerra family to please forgive me and you will always be in my prayers.”

Guerra’s sister and two women who were with Guerra on the night he died spoke during Wednesday’s proceeding, all three of whom asked the court to impose the maximum sentence.

“Jason Williams deserves the maximum penalty for the crime he committed. With no good time. Mr. Williams has never made the attempt to reach out to our family and apologize for his actions,” stated a tearful Sarah Guerra, Christian Guerra’s sister. “My brother’s life was taken from him too soon. He was outgoing, kind, helping and loving to others.”

Grant County Superior Court Judge David Estudillo went below the state’s recommendation and imposed a 40-year prison sentence.

“We all need to learn from this as far as how can we honor Christian’s memory,” Estudillo stated.

A few hours before his death Guerra had gone to Neppel’s Dockside Pub with three of his friends. Williams and his wife, Martha Mejia, were at the bar as well, but the two groups decided to leave after a fight broke out.

Williams claimed he left the bar with Mejia in their GMC Yukon and they were followed by a Ford Fusion, which Guerra was a passenger in. The defendant claimed he was suspicious of the Fusion so he pulled into the Jack in the Box parking lot and went into the drive-thru lane.

The Fusion pulled up behind William’s vehicle, blocking the Yukon in the drive-thru. The Yukon attempted to back up and the driver of the Fusion started to honk the vehicle’s horn.

Mejia got out of the Yukon and confronted the occupants of the Fusion. Guerra and another man got out of the Fusion and got into a physical fight Williams. After the fight, Guerra retreated back to the Fusion and the driver backed out of the drive-thru.

Video surveillance of the incident show to the jury during the trial shows Guerra getting out of the Fusion again and walk toward the Yukon, where he got into a second physical fight with Williams. Guerra retreated to the Fusion again, but got out again after Williams started walking toward the car with a 9mm pistol in his left hand.

The prosecution argued Guerra approached Williams to defuse the situation, but the video shows Williams walking toward Guerra and shooting him, then taking a few more steps and shooting him again. Williams then fired shots at the fusion, the reason for the three first-degree assault counts. Guerra later died at Samaritan Hospital.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.