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GWINNETT COUNTY, GA—– A 29-year-old man was convicted of fatally shooting a victim execution-style during a strong-armed robbery and blinding a second victim.
A Gwinnett County jury found Hakiem Sherif Williams guilty of malice murder, felony murder, armed robbery, and aggravated assault for shooting and killing 23-year-old Mihn Nguyen in September 2020, and shooting and blinding Cheng Xiu Han, 32. Williams was sentenced to life in prison plus 20 years without the possibility of parole.
“This heinous robbery scheme caused irreparable damage to these victims and to their families,” said Gwinnett District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson. “Though the verdict won’t make these victims and their families whole, we hope that justice will help bring them solace.”
On the morning of Sept. 6, 2020, Nguyen and Han checked into a Norcross Motel 6. They encountered Williams at the hotel and arranged to buy drugs from him. Williams learned that the two men had a backpack filled with thousands of dollars of cash, and decided he was going to rob them.
Williams sold the two men crack cocaine and offered to call a stripper to dance and perform sexual acts for the victims, according to investigators. They went to pick up Mary Jo Tarr in Han’s car and returned to the hotel room. Williams went into the bathroom while Tarr distracted the victims. He came out brandishing a handgun and told the victims to give him the backpack of cash. When Nguyen attempted to fight Williams to protect his money, Williams shot Nguyen in the face and in the temple, killing him. Williams then shot Han in the temple as well, leaving him to die. Han survived but was permanently blinded.
Williams and Tarr fled the hotel and drove with Williams’ girlfriend and children to Wilmington, N.C. Tarr eventually separated from the family and found a place to stay where she confessed to the homeowner. Police subsequently received an anonymous call detailing Tarr’s confession, which also named William’s girlfriend
During trial, prosecutors showed that police were able to identify Williams from face recognition software on his girlfriend’s social media account. Prosecutors also showed that investigators found latent fingerprints belonging to Tarr and Williams in Han’s car. Tarr testified from the witness stand during the trial, and police identified that video footage supported her story and contradicted the story Williams provided when he was interviewed by investigators.
Managing Assistant District Attorney Klaxon Wilson and Assistant District Attorney Roderick Burnette prosecuted the case with the assistance of DA’s Investigators Vance Williams and Brad Wiley and Victim Witness Advocate Wonsiah Kermah. The Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office and the Gwinnett County Police Department were invaluable in helping to close the case.
Pictured: Hakeim Sherif Williams found guilty of murder in drug robbery set-up case. Booking photo via Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office.