CHARLESTON, W.Va. — One of the two teenagers indicted in a 2024 north Charleston robbery and murder case has once again had his trial date re-set.
Barack Williams, 15, was indicted on charges of first-degree murder and first-degree robbery for the January 30, 2024 incident that occurred at the Tobacco and Pipe Shop on 7th Avenue where 19-year-old Caden Martin, the shop attendant at the store was shot and killed.
The other teenager charged is Bre’juan Williams-Hampton, also 15.
From surveillance video evidence, Williams-Hampton is suspected to have been the one to point the gun at Martin and kill him while Williams sat outside.
Williams-Hampton pleaded guilty to the charges last September and was tried as an adult and sentenced to spend life in prison with the eligibility for parole after 15 years.
Williams pleaded not guilty in December 2024, and after previously having his trial date set for May, a few different factors , such as ongoing construction at the Kanawha County Judicial Annex and the need for more time to prepare a co-counsel caused his trial date to be pushed back.
Williams and his attorneys met with Kanawha County Circuit Judge Maryclaire Akers for a status hearing Friday where his new trial date was set for September 2.
Akers said everything should be in order to have a trial by that point.
“The construction should be finished by then or they should at least be down to things that don’t make noise, because it’s supposed to be the first week of September I believe that they’re supposed to be finished,” Akers said.
Williams is also being tried as an adult.
Court documents say that Williams allegedly acted as a lookout while Williams-Hampton shot Martin.
Documents also say that an ice cream bar and vape products were taken during the incident, and police had found a wrapper from an ice cream bar and a backpack that matched the one Williams-Hampton had in a garage at Williams’ home.
In addition, gunshot residue was found on both Barack Williams’ hands after the incident.
Both Williams and Williams-Hampton were 14 at the time.