Not Guilty! Williams Walks on All Counts in Sheriff Assault Case

A Stephens County Jury says there was not enough evidence to convict 37-year old John Matthew Williams of felony aggravated assault against Stephens County Sheriff Randy Shirley.

Mathews had been indicted on one count of Aggravated Assault on a Peace Officer, one count of Aggravated Battery, and one count of Felony Obstruction of an Officer after allegedly punching the Sheriff in the head in 2016 as the Sheriff tried to answer a report of a possible kidnapping.

Wednesday morning, the jury found Williams not guilty on all three counts.

Photos of the Sheriff’s massive injuries were shown to the jury on Tuesday during testimony, but Jury Foreman Steve Floyd said that wasn’t enough to convict.

“We just felt that they (prosecution) did not present enough evidence to overcome reasonable doubt,” Floyd said.

Superior Court Judge Chan Caudell charged the jury at 9a Wednesday and by 10:30a they had reached a verdict.

The Sheriff Shirley said later he respects the jury’s decision.

“I do respect the jurors’ decision,” he said. “They didn’t get to hear all the facts of this case. I have no ill feelings whatsoever. I know they had a difficult job in rendering a verdict that speaks the truth and I respect that.”

During opening arguments Tuesday, Mountain Judicial Assistant District Attorney Rick Bridgeman told the jurors the issue was not whether Williams punched the Sheriff, but whether he was justified in doing so.

Leanna Elrod was the defense attorney for Williams.

Elrod told jurors her client was only defending his girlfriend, Rebecca Heaton, and his baby son from the Sheriff whom she said were injured when Shirley shoved her, causing her and her son to fall to the ground.  However, an investigation by agents with the GBI found no evidence Heaton or son had been pushed or had been injured.

Shirley said what did not come out at trial was that Matthews is a career criminal with a long history of arrests in Stephens County, and he says he hopes Matthew will use this opportunity to turn his life around.

Meantime, Williams’ girlfriend 30-year old Rebecca Faith Heaton agreed to a negotiated plea deal after pleading guilty to Perjury and Making False Statements to a Police Officer. She pled guilty pursuant to Alford v. NC to felony Obstruction, according to her attorney Ryan Swingle.

Other charges against Heaton, Aggravated Assault and Aggravated Battery were dismissed under the plea agreement.

Judge Caudell sentenced Heaton to five years probation on each count and a mandatory in-house drug program.

She is also not to have any further contact with Williams.

Heaton will remain under house arrest at the home of her parents until space is available at a drug treatment center.

Heaton has been in jail on a bench warrant since September when she failed to appear for a calendar call.

Wednesday morning, Heaton’s attorney told the judge she had been in an abusive relationship with Williams and at the time Sheriff Shirley came to Williams’ trailer she was in fear for her life and the safety of her baby.

In testimony Tuesday, Sheriff Shirley told the court he and Deputy Rusty Fulbright responded to a 911 call regarding a possible kidnapping of a woman, identified as Rebecca Heaton, at a residence on Skyview Lane on February 16, 2016.

The Sheriff said he had also received a call from Heaton’s father on his personal cellphone asking him to check on her believing she was in danger and was being held against her will.

Shirley said because he believed Heaton and her baby son might be in danger, he opened Williams’ front door and found Heaton holding her baby, standing near the bedroom door where Williams was with two other females.

The Sheriff said Heaton immediately began screaming and cursing him as he tried to get Williams to come outside and speak with him.

When Sheriff Shirley tried to move Heaton out of the way of the bedroom door Williams came from behind and punched the Sheriff in the head knocking him out.

The Sheriff suffered severe eye injuries and broken teeth.

Heaton’s attorney  told the Judge during sentencing that Williams routinely beat her and had beaten her and the baby two weeks earlier after Toccoa Police officers conducted a welfare check and that at the time of the Sheriff’s visit, she was afraid Williams would hurt her and the baby again.

Heaton’s attorney said his client had long been the victim of domestic violence at the hands of Williams, whom he said beat her regularly, isolated her from friends and family, and kept her addicted to drugs.

Wednesday, Mountain Judicial Circuit Assistant District Attorney Rick Bridgeman told the court the injuries Sheriff Shirley suffered that day may have actually led to Heaton and her baby getting free of Williams once and for all.

“The Sheriff obeyed his oath to protect and serve and because of that Heaton and her son will be able to live free of Williams,” Bridgeman said.