A suspect involved in a deadly shooting on Dove Drive in North Columbia in 2023 will be in a Boone County courtroom Thursday morning.
Damarkus Williams is facing charges of first-degree murder, three counts of armed criminal action and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon in the death of Deshon Houston in June 2023.
Williams’ hearing will be at the Boone County Courthouse in front of Judge Joshua Devine at 10:30 a.m. Thursday. Williams’ four-day jury trial is set to begin on Jan 6.
Seven people were charged in this case. Williams and suspect Ja’shaun Barney are the only one who have not pleaded guilty.
Court documents say Deazes Turner, Deljuan Turner and Alqueze Jones shot and killed Deshon Houston from a white 2017 Ford Explorer driven by Barney, while Bryton Allen also shot at Houston from an Acura MDX driven by Williams.
All of the men originally had second-degree murder charges, which were later upgraded to first-degree murder.
Deljuan Turner pleaded guilty in November last year to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 21 years in prison. Jones, 21, pleaded guilty that same month to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 21 years in prison.
Allen, 22, pleaded guilty in July 2024 to second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon and was sentenced to 20 years. He was also sentenced to four years in prison in an unrelated case where he pleaded guilty to resisting arrest in 2021.
Deazes Turner, 22, pleaded guilty in April to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 21 years in prison.
