After six full days of listening to testimony and a couple of hours of closing arguments on the seventh, a jury was tasked Thursday with deciding if William Wyatt Oakes was justified when he shot and killed his father inside their home near Rhome two years ago or if he committed murder.
Oakes and his defense attorneys argued the then-15-year-old — a few weeks shy of his 16th birthday — had no choice but to take deadly action against an abusive father the night of Aug. 18, 2017. Prosecutors argued Oakes was mad because his father had just taken his phone from him and he brought a loaded gun into the room where his father was with the intent of shooting him.
After four hours of deliberation, the jury returned its unanimous verdict of guilt.
This content is only available to online subscribers. Please login below or Subscribe now.
