Peoria Standard

A jury in Peoria County has found Jared R. Williams, 19, guilty of second-degree murder for the killing of Mason R. Loy in August 2023. Loy was shot four times in the parking lot of Laramie Liquors and was declared dead at the scene.

The trial lasted two days and focused on whether Williams acted in self-defense. Surveillance footage captured the incident, showing Williams shooting Loy. Williams, who testified during the trial, admitted to the shooting but claimed he was acting out of fear for his life due to prior threats made by Loy. One such recorded threat was shown to the jury. In the video, Loy visited the Williams home searching for him but threatened Williams's family instead.

The prosecution had charged Williams with first-degree murder, arguing that he was the aggressor. The surveillance video demonstrated that Williams was armed and approached Loy, who was unarmed, exiting the store with his hands at his sides. As Loy turned to flee, Williams fired, hitting him four times with three bullets striking him in the back. "Williams knew the moment he got out of the vehicle that he intended to kill Loy, and that is exactly what transpired," Assistant State’s Attorney Dave Gast stated during closing arguments. Despite the prosecution's stance, the jury was also instructed to consider a second-degree murder charge due to the history of threats.

Williams initially fled the scene after the murder and was arrested a few days later in Normal, Illinois. He still possessed the weapon used in the shooting, and the six shell casings collected were matched to that firearm.

At the time of Loy's murder, Williams was just 17 years old. The case was transferred to adult felony court, where sentencing is scheduled for May 21.