First co-defendant in Harrison County murder case faces trial | Police

The murder trial of Andrek Jakhob Williams, the first co-defendant in the April 2002 killing of Jerrold Maze Jr., began Monday in Harrison County's 71st District Court.

“This is a case of violence, fear, retaliation and murder,” Madison Hood, Harrison County's first assistant district attorney, said in his opening statement to jurors.

“The defendant shot Jerrold Maze in his driveway,” Hood said, adding that Maze was shot multiple times, including in the face, neck, chest and back.

The defendant Williams pleaded not guilty to the crime.

“My client is not guilty of this murder,” said Todd Smith, who represented the defendant, in his opening statement. “He did not kill Jerrold Maze.”

Williams, of Houston, and Iymahd Nikwane Anderson, a co-defendant in the case, were both arrested in 2023 in connection with the fatal shooting of Maze. Williams, 22, was booked into prison on May 19, 2023, while Anderson, 21, of Marshall, was booked on June 6 of the same year.

McCain noted that Maze was shot by two unknown gunmen on April 4, 2022, while sitting in a car with a friend on Holland Street.

Hood, representing the state, claimed Williams killed the victim because he allegedly believed he was connected to the March 2022 death of his cousin, who was found shot to death in Powder Mill Cemetery. Hood said Williams had the two “arguing” in social media posts prior to his cousin's death.

“Jerrold Maze was on his radar,” Hood said, adding that text messages were found that involved stalking anyone who had a falling out with the deceased cousin.

The prosecutor said that on the night of Maze's fatal shooting, the victim reportedly encountered the defendant at a gas station before he was shot in the driveway of his home.

“The defendant drives up, rolls down the window, wearing a black mask, sticks his head out and rolls the window back up,” Hood said, noting that a witness said the initial encounter at the gas station made the victim nervous. “Less than 10 minutes later, the murder happened. It happened very quickly.”

Hood said Maze's female passenger told authorities that masked men had fired shots at the car. The prosecutor said the passenger was fortunately not shot as she ducked. She said Maze was bleeding profusely when the female passenger called 911. Maze was eventually taken to the hospital by private vehicle, where he was pronounced dead.

Hood said investigators found 11 shell casings at the crime scene in the 600 block of Holland Street. Prosecutors said jurors will see investigating officers' body camera footage from the night of the shooting, hear the 911 call to dispatch and more during the trial.

“There's going to be a lot of evidence in this case, a lot of evidence from social media and phone records that points to the defendant,” Hood said, noting that jurors will also see a social media post of the defendant wearing a mask and footage of the defendant's car outside a pawn shop. She said 9mm ammunition was found at the crime scene.

“The defendant became a person of interest early on,” the prosecutor said.

“The police have worked really, really hard on this case. All evidence points to the defendant killing Jerrold Maze,” Hood said.

In another text message, according to prosecutors, the defendant announced that an incident would be featured on the news.

“This was intentional and knowing … he intended to kill anyone who had anything to do with his cousin's death,” Hood said.

“There are too many coincidences in this case to come to any conclusion other than that the defendant is guilty,” Hood said. “It will all fit together.”

The defendant's defense attorney, Smith, argued that the state was basing the case entirely on “coincidences.”

“This should scare anyone,” Smith said, noting that it is especially frightening when someone is facing a life sentence.

Smith said there was no doubt that Maze was shot. Just not by his client, he said. The defense argued that the employee who led police to the arrest of the two co-defendants has since retracted his statements.

“He did not know the facts of the murder. He was led by detectives,” Smith claimed.

Smith stated that the employee had a number of criminal charges against him and that he believed his testimony would help his situation. The employee is now in jail.

“He retracts everything he said,” Smith said.

Smith further argued that the masked people at the gas station could not be identified.

“There were people at the gas station wearing masks. You couldn't tell who it was,” the defense attorney claimed.

“There were many people who wanted to harm Mr. Maze,” Smith said. “Not all of their alibis were (clear). Ultimately, this case is based on 'coincidences.'”

He argued that this would not work in criminal cases.

“You're going to see (patchworked) evidence that's been pieced together to prove this case,” Smith said.

The trial continues today in 71st District Court with Judge Brad Morin presiding.