A Platte County jury last week convicted Cornelle Williams of murder in the second degree, assault in the first degree and two counts of armed criminal action surrounding a Feb. 24, 2001, shooting in a Parkville apartment.
The murder victim was 21-year-old Rusty Clinton and the assault victim was his friend, 21-year-old Nathan Quick.
Platte County Interim Prosecutor Tammy Glick said Williams and his friend, Kevin Johnson, first made contact with Rusty Clinton at his place of employment, Wheel Warehouse. Upon learning Mr. Clinton’s friend, Nathan Quick had a set of wheels for sale, Williams and Johnson followed Clinton and Quick to Quick’s apartment off Highway 45 in Parkville.
While in Quick’s apartment, Cornelle Williams pulled an Intratec 9 mm semiautomatic gun out of his coat sleeve and fired three shots. One shot entered Rusty Clinton’s head and the remaining two shots were fired at Nathan Quick.
The jury deliberated approximately four and one-half hours before returning guilty verdicts on all four counts. The jury assessed punishment at 30 years on murder in the second degree; 40 years on armed criminal action in regards to the murder, 15 years on assault in the first degree, and 40 years on armed criminal action in regards to the assault.
“I thank the jurors for their hard work in this case,” said Glick. “The instructions were complicated and somewhat confusing. They stayed focused on the evidence and returned the appropriate verdict.”
Williams will be sentenced on Nov. 21 at 9 a.m. in Division I of the Platte County Circuit Court.