RJ (just turned 18) and another boy (17 year old Mack) were

 brutally murdered. The District attorney stated in his closing


argument that RJ was murdered because the murderer was

 

jealous of Mack's relationship with the murderer's

 

 girlfriend so he wanted to kill Mack and he had to kill RJ because

 

 RJ was there and he would have been a witness. 

 

But read the news articles below, seems they can't make up their

minds which one he supposedly shot first....

 

 Accused Murderer 

Changes Plea

Tim Reid |
Anchor/Reporter, News 3 On Your Side
January 22, 2007

In a Russell County courtroom, a murder case was turned
around when the defendant changed his plea.
Monday morning, Paul Wilson pleaded "guilty".
That means this case has changed from a death penalty
case if convicted, to life-in-prison.
Wilson is accused of murdering two men in May 2004.
R.J. Davis and Mack C. were both shot in the head
at Briar Creek Park in Russell County.
According to investigators, in a taped confession,
Paul Wilson admitted he accidentally shot Davis,
panicked and then intentionally shot C.

 


 

 Surprise Guilty Plea In 

Double Murder Trial

WTVM CHANNEL 9 NEWS) Monday~January 22, 2007 

"A double murder suspect shocks a Russell County courtroom, admitting he killed two teens out of jealousy. The last minute plea deal was reached Monday morning in a 2004 murder case to keep Paul Wilson off Alabama's death row.

Wilson gave gruesome details about how he carried out the murders of two young men. "He said that he shot them both in the head and the gunshot did not kill them. So he took his rifle and started beating them until they died," said Monica Davis, Victim's Mother.

Wilson was about to stand trial for killing RJ Davis and Mack C. at Briar Creek Park in Russell County back in May 2004. As the jury process was underway, he admitted to the judge he killed the two teenagers because of jealousy. "He has given a statement to the judge that he is willing to enter a plea of guilty to this charge in exchange for sentence of life without parole," said Rick Chancey, Wilson's Attorney.

Though the plea won't bring Monica Davis's son back to life, she at least knows why he was killed. "It hurt but I mean RJ is never coming back. One thing is we at least know we now have a reason. We know he done it over jealousy," said Davis.

Some of the questions family members have been seeking since May 2004.

Mack C.'s mother told News Leader Nine she still wants to hear answers about what happen to her son. Since this is a capital case, jurors will still hear all the evidence before Wilson can be formally sentenced.

His attorney says a final outcome can come down as early as Tuesday morning.

 Guilty Verdict Reached by Russell County Jury

WRBL News Channel 3

January 23, 2007

It only took a Russell County jury 25 minutes to decide the fate of Paul Wilson who was accused of murdering two teenagers in 2004.
The jury found Wilson guilty of killing 18-year-old R.J. Davis and
17-year-old Mack C.
Tuesday morning, the prosecution called four witnesses to testify about the two murders Paul Wilson in which Wilson is now convicted.
The District Attorney showed the jury members a gruesome videotae of the victims' bodies that were discovered in Briar Creek Park in Russell County in May 2004. The video showed the bodies of C. and Davis after being shot and beaten to death.
Wilson admitted that he killed both teenagers out of jealousy because they had a close relationship with his girlfriend.
Wilson will be sentenced on February 28th for the murders. At that date the judge will formally sentence him to life in prinson without parole.

WRBL, Media General

 Phenix City Man Guilty for murdering two teens in Russell County, AL

By Greg Funderburg/Reporter
WTVM News Leader 9

JANUARY 23, 2007

A Phenix City man who admits killing two teenagers was convicted by a Russell County jury Tuesday afternoon. The jury found Paul Wilson guilty of murdering Mack C. and RJ Davis. 

You may remember Wilson admitted his guilt Monday during jury selection. Despite a guilty plea, because this is a capital murder case, state law says jurors must agree there's enough evidence to support that plea.
It didn't take long, only 25 minutes of deliberations around lunchtime. Family members of both young men say today is a step forward to move on with their lives. "I'm glad it's over. I just want my family and I to move forward with our lives," said Monica Davis, Victim's Mother. 

Getting back to normal will take some time, but they believe justice was served. "I'm glad he was found guilty and now they can put him away where he belongs," said Davis.
Defense lawyers say Wilson's admittance of his guilt in the courtroom Monday came after several discussions. "There was a lot of evidence against Paul. He wanted to admit it and accept his punishment," said Rick Chancey, Wilson's Attorney.
Something the district attorney wanted to hear. "I think the verdict speaks the truth. That is what verdicts are suppose to do. This individual was guilty of two crimes. He brutally murdered two young men from our community," said Ken Davis, District Attorney.
Wilson admitted to the judge he shot both Davis and C. in the back of the head back in May 2004. Then he took the butt of his 22-caliber rifle and beat the two young men till they died. "Our family will never be whole again. All we want is RJ back and we can't have that," said Davis.
Wilson will be sentenced on February 28th. He now faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.

 

Jury finds man guilty in murders


Posted on Wed, Jan. 24, 2007

He faces life in prison for killing two teenagers


BY ALAN RIQUELMY
Staff Writer
Jurors had little doubt as to the guilt of Paul Hunter Wilson.

A Russell County Circuit Court jury took about 22 minutes to find the Phenix City man guilty of three counts of capital murder on Tuesday. The 22-year-old, who pleaded guilty on Monday to the May 2004 slayings of R.J. Davis, 18, and Kenneth C., 17, shortened the conventional trial that could have lasted two weeks, turning it into a two-day event after his attorneys brokered a deal with the district attorney.

Wilson pleaded guilty Monday to shooting the teenagers at Briar Creek Park out of jealousy and repeatedly beating them with a rifle until they died. He faced the possibility of the death penalty if convicted of the two capital murder counts for the slayings, with the third count triggered because the crime involved the murder of two or more people.

By pleading under the agreement, the option of death by lethal injection was taken off the table.

Even though he pleaded guilty, the trial had to continue under Alabama state law.

"I'm just glad that he was found guilty for the crimes," said Monica Davis, R.J. Davis' mother. "I'm just upset that someone could savagely murder people over jealousy. Nothing they do to him is ever going to bring my son back."

Russell County District Attorney Ken Davis told the jury during closing arguments that a jury must hear the evidence in a capital case and decide a defendant's guilt before the plea is valid. If Wilson hadn't pleaded guilty, Davis said he would have called 50 witnesses to the stand -- a process taking more than a week.

Instead, the prosecution and defense agreed to many of the facts, and testimony that would have taken days was summarized in minutes by Davis.

Wilson owed C. money, and he told the victims if they came with him, he could get the money. Wilson was the last person seen with the teenagers, Davis said.

The district attorney added that sometime after the murders, Wilson emerged from the woods of Briar Creek Park without a shirt and spotted with blood. He pulled aside Julian Gee so no one else could hear. "The defendant told him, 'I shot and killed two people, and I did the best I could to hide it,' " Ken Davis said.

The day after the murders, Wilson approached his girlfriend -- the source of his jealousy. "He said, 'They're gone. They're not coming back,' " the district attorney said.

"I think it's the best that we could have hoped for in these circumstances," said attorney Rick Chancey, who represents Wilson. "There was a lot of evidence before Paul, and he wanted to admit to it."

Russell County Circuit Court Judge George Greene scheduled Wilson's sentencing for Feb. 28. His maximum sentence is life without parole.

"I'm glad it's over with," Monica Davis said. "We've waited so long for this. We can start to properly grieve for our son."