Jury begins deliberations in Sean Williams’ escape trial

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — Jurors began deliberating Friday morning in Sean Williams’ federal escape trial.

Prosecutors rested their two-count escape case against Williams on Wednesday. Williams, who is representing himself after severing himself from four appointed attorneys, rested his case on Thursday.

Closing arguments concluded Friday just before 10 a.m. Shortly afterward, the jury was released to begin deliberation.

Williams, who is at the center of a whirlwind of lawsuits and investigations, faces charges of escape and attempted escape in the trial. Prosecutors asked jurors to find Williams guilty on both counts, each of carries a sentence of up to five years.

His escape charge stems from an October 2023 incident in which he left a prison transport van while on the way to a court hearing in Greeneville. Williams was at large for five weeks before he was captured in Florida.

On the first day of the trial, Williams admitted to escaping from the van . He said while he did not deny that he escaped from the vehicle, he contested that he was in lawful custody.

The attempted escape charge goes back even further to July 2023, when Williams allegedly attempted to escape from the Washington County Detention Center .

The escape trial has seen several tense moments, with U.S. District Court Judge Ronnie Greer at one point warning Williams that if he did not stop interrupting, he would have marshals gag Williams and allow his elbow counsel to represent him as best he could.

Williams also faces federal counts of production of child pornography and state charges of child rape. He has also been accused of drugging and raping dozens of women in his former Johnson City apartment.

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