Co-defendants tell all on the second day of the murder trial against Kenov Williams

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) – Testimony continues in the capital murder trial of Kenov Williams, who is accused of fatally shooting two teenagers in the parking lot of a Taco Bell in Guntersville in September 2021.

Opening arguments began on Wednesday with the testimony of six witnesses.

Prosecutors concluded the second day of testimony with the hearing of a tenth witness, with more to follow in the coming days.

The state began the day by calling expert witness Tim Bozarth to the stand. Bozarth is a former digital forensic scientist with the Marshall County District Attorney's Office. He obtained a phone belonging to Williams from the Guntersville Police Department.

Bozarth told the court he recovered Snapchat conversations between Kenov Williams and co-defendant Nicholas Cuzzort. In those conversations, Cuzzort and Williams talk about how they discovered 19-year-old Elias Lopez stealing a firearm and marijuana vaporizer cartridges from the two and hatched a plan to get revenge on him.

After the evidence from Williams' phone was released, the state called none other than Nicholas Cuzzort, Williams' co-defendant, as a witness.

Cuzzort told jurors how he knew Williams, claiming the two met when Cuzzort was just 16 years old. Cuzzort says shortly after the encounter, he became part of Williams' business selling drugs, including herbal marijuana, marijuana vaporizer cartridges and “wax.”

Cuzzort said that after moving out of his home due to disagreements with his parents, he moved into a trailer rented by Williams. At some point while Cuzzort was living in that home, which was referred to as a “trap house,” firearms and marijuana vaporizer cartridges were stolen.

Cuzzort said the two found out through social media that Elias Lopez was to blame because he had advertised the cartridges he stole for sale on his social media. He and Williams traveled to the home of the third co-defendant, Morgan Young, to devise a plan to get the merchandise back.

There, it was decided that Williams would pose as a potential buyer of the drugs to Lopez and agree to a meeting. Cuzzort and Young would help stage an armed robbery to get the carts and firearms back.

Cuzzort claims he suggested that Williams meet Lopez in a public place because he definitely didn't want anyone to get hurt.

Later that night, Cuzzort said, Williams went to meet Lopez and jumped into Morgan Young's blue Nissan to follow him. The two stayed on the phone line with Kenov Williams, waiting for a code word to get in.

Cuzzort testified that shots rang out as soon as the two pulled up next to Lopez's silver Mazda. He claims he didn't get out of Young's car until Lopez and 17-year-old Enrique Alvardo were already dead. He was asked to move the Mazda, which had crashed into Young's Nissan during the altercation.

Cuzzort said Williams suffered a gunshot wound to the leg, so he and Young drove Williams to the hospital, where they left him.

Former investigator Doug Ware was called to the stand next, where he described the hour-long interview between himself and Williams. Ware said he responded to a call that night of a man in the hospital with a gunshot wound and later brought Williams to the Guntersville Police Department for questioning.

In the first half of the interview, Williams denied knowing his co-defendants at all and said they were at the crime scene by chance.

He also claimed that Lopez first pointed a gun at him as he got into the car and that he fired back in self-defense.

After some prodding from investigators, Williams admitted to knowing Cuzzort and Young and said he shot the teenagers because he thought Lopez was going to rob him.

Finally, the state called the third co-defendant and Williams' ex-girlfriend Morgan Young to the witness stand.

Young is charged with capital crimes and conspiracy to commit robbery.

Young claims Williams and Nicholas Cuzzort came to her home in Claysville, where she was writing an essay for her college classes. The two began discussing plans to get revenge on Lopez for stealing the drugs.

She says she tried to stop the two from pursuing Lopez, but that only made Williams angry. Williams went so far as to force Young to get the money out of her safe and take pictures of it to send to Lopez to make the fake money exchange seem more believable.

Ultimately, Young says, she agreed to join Cuzzort in robbing Lopez at Taco Bell.

There, Williams got into Lopez's car and shot him and Alvardo. Lopez tried to flee but was shot in the back before falling to the ground in the parking lot.

Young admits that she drove over Lopez's body as she, Williams and Cuzzort fled the scene.

New surveillance video of the incident was shown in court, showing the moment Young backslides over Lopez's body. His family, present in the courtroom Thursday, sobbed audibly as they witnessed the moments.

At the end of her testimony, Young tearfully stated that she regretted every decision she made that night and that she never wanted anyone to die.

The prosecution will call additional witnesses in the case, including the medical examiner. Testimony will continue on Friday at 9 a.m.

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