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Nearly three years after the fatal shooting, a man has been convicted by a Cherokee County jury for the shotgun killing of a man later found stuffed inside a truck toolbox in Georgia.On Friday, District Attorney Summer Summerford announced that Eric Kyle Hooper had been convicted of the 2022 murder of LaChancey Williams.Williams' body was found on March 15, 2022, during routine maintenance on Esom Hill Road in Polk County, Georgia. A road crew working in the area discovered a black truck toolbox; the body was wrapped in a tarp inside.An examination by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab identified Williams and determined that he had been shot twice with a shotgun. They were also able to lift a fingerprint off of the duct tape used to wrap the body.The GBI, alongside the Polk County Sheriff's Office, interviewed several potential witnesses before handing the case over to the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office after determining the murder took place in Alabama.Hooper was eventually arrested based on the fingerprint and eyewitness statements.Hooper's conviction Thursday morning is a major milestone for law enforcement in Cherokee County: for the first time in years, there are no pending intentional murder cases in the jurisdiction.“This achievement underscores the importance of a committed justice system in fostering community safety and justice," said Sheriff Jeff Shaver.“I am proud of how the different agencies worked together to ensure justice was served," said Summerford. "So many people worked on this investigation that it would be impossible to name them all. The community can rest well with the knowledge that there are dedicated public servants who devote their time and interest to making sure our citizens are safe. For the first time in many years, there are currently no pending intentional murder cases in Cherokee County. It is my hope that those who would commit such atrocities see the writing on the wall and stay out of our jurisdiction.” Hooper is set to be sentenced in February. The state will seek the maximum sentence of life in prison.
CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ala. —
Nearly three years after the fatal shooting, a man has been convicted by a Cherokee County jury for the shotgun killing of a man later found stuffed inside a truck toolbox in Georgia.
On Friday, District Attorney Summer Summerford announced that Eric Kyle Hooper had been convicted of the 2022 murder of LaChancey Williams.
Williams' body was found on March 15, 2022, during routine maintenance on Esom Hill Road in Polk County, Georgia. A road crew working in the area discovered a black truck toolbox; the body was wrapped in a tarp inside.
An examination by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab identified Williams and determined that he had been shot twice with a shotgun. They were also able to lift a fingerprint off of the duct tape used to wrap the body.
The GBI, alongside the Polk County Sheriff's Office, interviewed several potential witnesses before handing the case over to the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office after determining the murder took place in Alabama.
Hooper was eventually arrested based on the fingerprint and eyewitness statements.
Hooper's conviction Thursday morning is a major milestone for law enforcement in Cherokee County: for the first time in years, there are no pending intentional murder cases in the jurisdiction.
“This achievement underscores the importance of a committed justice system in fostering community safety and justice," said Sheriff Jeff Shaver.
“I am proud of how the different agencies worked together to ensure justice was served," said Summerford. "So many people worked on this investigation that it would be impossible to name them all. The community can rest well with the knowledge that there are dedicated public servants who devote their time and interest to making sure our citizens are safe. For the first time in many years, there are currently no pending intentional murder cases in Cherokee County. It is my hope that those who would commit such atrocities see the writing on the wall and stay out of our jurisdiction.”
Hooper is set to be sentenced in February. The state will seek the maximum sentence of life in prison.
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