Snapped: Women Who Murder - BONUS: The Big Shot (Accident, Suicide, or Murder)

Episode Date: August 15, 2024

When a late-night party in the home of a celebrity basketball player turns deadly, a curious web of lies leads detectives on a rocky road to the truth to find justice for the unlikely victim.Season 04 Episode 01Originally aired: November 26, 2022Watch full episodes of Snapped for FREE on the Oxygen app: https://oxygentv.app.link/WatchSnappedPodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I'm Dan Tuberski. In 2011, something strange began to happen at a high school in upstate New York. A mystery illness, bizarre symptoms, and spreading fast. What's the answer? And what do you do if they tell you it's all in your head? Hysterical, a new podcast from Wondery and Pineapple Street Studios. Binge all episodes of Hysterical early and ad-free on Wondery Plus. Justice is back with all new episodes.

Judy doesn't do excuses. Stop wasting my time. She doesn't play games. Just because I can't prove it, Judge. If you can't prove it, I can't hear it. Her reign continues. Judy Justice. New episodes streaming now on Amazon Prime Video. Hi Snap listeners, we are bringing you a special bonus episode today from Oxygen's hit series,

Accident, Suicide or Murder. You can also watch full episodes on demand on the free Oxygen app or on Peacock by clicking the link in our description. Enjoy. I want one more emergency. We have an emergency so why'd you guys chop him? Sir, do you have a description of the person that shot him? No, it's a shot of blood.

A late night party in the home of celebrity basketball player Jason Williams goes terribly wrong. Gus Christofi had a single gunshot wound to the front of his chest. Gus was hired to transport the Globetrotters back to Jason's house. As investigators work the scene, concerns of foul play begin to take shape. It was called in as a suicide, but we weren't sure if there was tampering with evidence. The gun is kind of distant from where he's going to leave it

if he did shoot himself. Jason was instructing his guests not to talk to the police. Why did he try to cover it up? And a troubling past is revealed. Jason Williams was the headline when my friend Gus was the victim. It was just a total roller coaster. There were multiple examples of reckless conduct

with mishandling firearms. Gus Gustavio didn't deserve to die. He wanted to make sure the public knew whatever happens, it was, a distressed call for We have an emergency. What's your name, sir? Come on! Somebody's calling you! All right, all right, we're going to send somebody, all right? Stay on the line with me, okay? As law enforcement rushes to the scene, they're informed the incident is located at the home of former NBA star Jason Williams. I knew who Jason Williams was.

He was a former net and then he did color commentary for one of the major networks on basketball for the NBA. So I was a high profile individual that was involved. Upon arrival at the scene, there was two columns with big gates on it. Long driveway, it was a giant house. There was numerous people in a very large foyer right at the entrance to the residence. Witnesses direct police into Jason Williams' bedroom where the shot occurred and explain the victim is

their limousine driver, Gus Christoffi. Gus was lying on the floor with a blood-soaked shirt and clearly deceased. Gus Christofi had a single gunshot wound to the front of his chest. The shotgun was also located on the floor, but a good distance away from the victim's body. Detectives quickly begin to identify the 10 witnesses present at Jason's intimate gathering, attempting to determine what happened before Gus's death.

We learned who Jason's guests were. Jason Williams' half-brother, Victor Santiago, was present. He was the one that made the call to 911. And four of the individuals there were Jason's friends from the nearby area. There were also four representatives from the Harlem Globetrotters that were there because they were doing a show

less than an hour from Jason's house. According to some of his guests, Jason wanted to bring some of the Globetrotters to the Mountain View Chalet, which was a restaurant that he frequented, and then onto his estate to show the members of the Globetrotters his home and how well he had done and everything that he had. And this is why Gus was hired to transport the Globetrotters after the show to the Mountain View Chalet and then at some point back to Jason's house

where Gus was shot and killed. The 911 call reported Gus had shot himself, but what police need to know is why. It's important to know about Gus Christoffi so that I could have more of a complete picture of exactly what his life was about before his tragic death. of exactly what his life was about before his tragic death. Gussie was born October 10th, 1946, in a small village in Limassol, Cyprus. His Greek name is Costandinos Constantine, and I always called him Gussie.

Gussie's family immigrated to the United States in 1950 and settled into the growing community of Patterson, New Jersey. Gussie was a lot of fun. He loved sports. He was very charismatic from an early age, had a great personality. Gussie was mischievous and seemed to always get

into some sort of trouble. As time went by, Gussie started to hang out with the quote, wrong crowd. And once we realized that Gus was getting into the use of harder drugs, we never turned him away. But Gussie started stealing so that he can support his habit. And he would get caught and he would land in jail, which was just heartbreaking. At the age of 49, Gus sought help for his addictions and was accepted to a prominent rehabilitation center

called Freedom House. I seen a guy that was a warm-hearted guy. He was very open and transparent about his past. And if you were to take out the addiction factor, then you would probably have a person He was a warm-hearted guy. He was very open and transparent about his past. And if you were to take out the addiction factor, then you would probably have a person who wouldn't have had any arrests because it was all related to his addiction. It took a lot of will and determination

in order for him to be sober. And after a few years of really not seeing him, Gus and I reconnected. He graduated the program and he eventually became the house manager and later became a counselor at Freedom House. What an honor it was to see this man, where he came from, to put his life back together. And he was very proud of it. Gus spent the last seven years of his life sober and recently began a career as a limousine driver.

Many people would request Gussie to be their driver. He just had a way of making people feel at ease. He would strike up conversations, and he would speak openly about his past. And every now and then then he connected with someone who perhaps their child needed help and he would refer them to Freedom House. I mean here he was driving a limousine helping others. He really was very happy. Gus's life appeared to finally be on track. So what could have driven him to aim a gun at himself while on the job inside of a client's house?

Investigators inspect the scene to make sense of this strange situation. We went through the entire residence, but really the only thing important to this investigation was all located within the bedroom. As soon as you walked in, you could see the gun case. We recovered seven or eight firearms, most of which were loaded, and the gun cabinet unlocked. Why were there so many loaded firearms in the home? Detectives direct their attention back to Jason

and the other witnesses for answers. so many loaded firearms in the home. Detectives direct their attention back to Jason and the other witnesses for answers. Jason's guests were told to go into the dining room. They were, at that point, being detained. They were witnesses. Jason was quite worked up and was instructing in front of law enforcement officers, his guests, not to

talk to the police. He used much stronger language. Don't you talk to the effing police. Don't you say a word. He said, my lawyer's on the way. So an attorney did arrive that was representing Jason and no statements were obtained then. This was unusual because it was called in to 911 as a suicide. So now there were suspicions about why they were willing to cover up what happened to Gus. None of it really made sense.

He's in a celebrity's house and and he somehow accesses a rifle, and he shoots himself. Because it's Mr. Williams' firearm, I would expect to find Mr. Williams' fingerprints on him. I just felt that, no, this is not right. Something's wrong. On February 14th, 2002, detectives in Hunterdon County, New Jersey are investigating the suspicious suicide of local Lumazine driver Gus Christoffi, who was found dead in the home of his client, former NBA star Jason Williams' firearms out of his gun cabinet

and shot himself in the chest. Now we're going to look objectively at the weapon used, the gunshot wound to the victim, and where everything is located within the death scene and see if that's possible or not possible. There was a shotgun which was laying on the floor and the gun really is kind of distant from where he's going to leave it if he did shoot himself. But you could say, well, did he shoot himself

and then walk over to the table and then collapse? However, there was no trail of blood between the 12-gauge shotgun and Mr. Christoffi. So there was some suspicion there, but we weren't sure if there was tampering with evidence because initially we didn't have any cooperating witnesses. And then of course because of who Mr. Williams was, a lawyer was involved right away on his behalf, which you don't typically see that on a case involving someone shooting himself. Although questions remain at the scene, investigators move to notify Gus Christoffi's family of his death

and hope to find out if Gus may have been suicidal. It's Valentine's Day and Gussie's sister called. She said Gussie was shot. She said, Dora, it gets worse. They think he may have shot himself. I said, shot himself? There's no way. There's no way. So I remember just breaking down. When I heard that he had gotten shot, I was totally stunned.

Gus was a special person in my life. As far as I'm concerned, he was family. Gus, he had a zest for life. He had plans. He wanted to do a lot more in his life. And then, of course, just on the practical end of it, he's in a celebrity's house, and he somehow accesses a rifle, and he shoots himself.

I knew that that was just crazy. I knew he hadn't relapsed and returned to the lifestyle that he lived before in 1995 when he came to Freedom House. So I just felt that, no, this is not right. Something is wrong. Gus's family and friends are unwavering in the belief he would not take his own life. But detectives question whether his dark past

could have caught up with him. A former roommate of Gus thought it was certainly within the realm of possibility that Gus killed himself. There were bouts of depression or moments that he was down. In looking back through the sober eyes, he was reflecting upon all of those wasted years and all of the destruction that was caused as a result of his addictions. But definitely within the first few days, news was traveling around that Gus had killed himself and people had strong opinions

on both sides. Investigators take a closer look at the bizarre circumstances around Gus Christoffi's apparent suicide and learn how Gus ended up as Jason Williams' driver that fateful night. We were in contact with Gus' employer who the job, driving the Globetrotters, to Gus, and who knew very well whether Gus had a previous relationship with Jason Williams, and he did not. We learned Gus was definitely not scheduled. He had finished his shift and was leaving

when the call came in. It wasn't a question of who was going to get the job if Gus wanted it. Because what's important to know is that not only was Gus a sports fan, Gus was a Jason Williams fan. He really admired Jason Williams and was impressed. Apparently knew Mr. Williams' backstory,

how he overcame odds, and did well with the NBA. Knowing Gus was a fan of Jason Williams draws more confusion around his motive to shoot himself in the basketball star's home. And with Jason instructing witnesses not to cooperate with police, investigators need to figure out why. As soon as Jason Williams moved into Hunterdon County,

he was quite visible and he was quite charitable, always willing to help people. He owned businesses, he was very charming. He would often just stop and give people autographs and that sort of thing, so he was very friendly. Anyone that you met in Hunterdon County that actually knew him, knew of him, heard about him, had nothing but great things to say.

I think the fact that he wasn't from New Jersey, but he lived here and he spent the majority of his career playing for the New Jersey Nets, it just made him that much more of a hometown hero. Two days after Gus's death, the medical examiner performs the autopsy, hoping the forensic evidence will tell the story Jason and his guests refused to tell themselves. I was really focused on, is this an accident? Is this suicide? Is this homicide? And it really comes down to understanding

what the distance is from the shotgun to the shot that hit Mr. Christoffi. So when we looked superficially into the wound, there was what you would call a stippling, which is a burned gunpowder in the skin. And the stippling tells you the gun wasn't in total contact with the body. So we have now the gun is somewheres between maybe six inches to two feet away from Mr. Christoffi. The barrel on the weapon was 28 inches. Now you have to add another six to eight inches

to the trigger, and then if it was suicide, you'd have to place the barrel completely against your chest and lean in to reach the trigger, which would cause the trajectory or the path of those shot shells to travel at an acute angle. During the autopsy, it was revealed that pellets the trajectory or the path of those shot shells to travel at an acute angle. During the autopsy, it was revealed that pellets from the shot shell of the shotgun

entered straight into the chest and were lodged into the back, evenly spread out. So measurements are taken. I then took the weapon, put it in his hand, and tried to make it fit the distance. And it just didn't fit where he could pull the trigger and have the gun that was anywhere from six inches to two feet from where he stood.

What we saw wasn't consistent with what we were told as investigators. It wasn't a self-inflicted gunshot wound. So we now know that it's not a suicide, it is a homicide. Welcome to the Offensive Line. You guys, on this podcast, we're going to make some picks, talk some s***, and hopefully make you some money in the process.

I'm your host, Annie Agar. So here's how this show's going to work, okay? We're going to run through the weekly slate of NFL and college football matchups, breaking them down into very serious categories like no offense. No offense, Travis Kelce,, but you gotta step up your game if Pat Mahomes is saying the Chiefs need to have more fun this year. We're also handing out a series of awards

and making picks for the top storylines surrounding the world of football. Awards like the He May Have a Point Award for the wide receiver that's most justifiably bitter. Is it Brandon Iyuk, T. Higgins, or Devonte Adams? Plus on Thursdays, we're doing an exclusive bonus episode on Wondery+, where I share my fantasy football picks ahead of Thursday Night Football and the weekend's matchups. Your fantasy league is as good as locked in.

Follow the offensive line on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can access bonus episodes and listen ad free right now by joining Wondery Plus. Scammers are best known for living the high life until they're forced to trade it all in for handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit once they're finally caught. I'm Saatchi Cole. And I'm Sarah Haggye. And we're the host of Scamfluencers, a weekly podcast from Wondery that takes you along the twists and turns of some of the most infamous scams of all time, the impact on victims and

what's left once the facade falls away. We've covered stories like a Shark Tank certified entrepreneur who left the show with an investment, but soon faced mounting bills, an active lawsuit filed by Larry King, and no real product to push. He then began to prey on vulnerable women instead, selling the idea of a future together while stealing

from them behind their backs. To the infamous scams of real Housewives stars like Teresa Giudice, what should have proven instead, selling the idea of a future together while stealing from them behind their backs. To the infamous scams of Real Housewives stars like Teresa Giudice, what should have proven to be a major downfall only seemed to solidify her place in the Real Housewives Hall of Fame. Follow Scamfluencers on the Wondry app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to Scamfluencers early and ad-free right now on OneDrey+. On February 16th, 2002, two days after Gus Christoffi reportedly committed suicide in the home of former basketball star Jason Williams, the medical examiner concludes it was physically impossible for Gus to shoot himself in the chest with a shotgun, eliminating the cause

of death as suicide and officially ruling it a homicide. When it's a homicide, you want to make sure you do everything possible to find out what happened, because you're seeking justice at that point. We waited until after the autopsy results to give a press release. Of course, news travels fast, especially in a small county.

Jason was well known in the area, but at that point we were seeking additional information to find out what happened, because we still had very little information as to how Gus was shot and killed. After news spreads of Gus's official ruling of death as homicide and not suicide, Jason emerges with a statement that presents a new perspective on the case.

The next day, February 17th, Jason Williams' attorney did respond to the press and indicate that what occurred was a tragic accident. He did not want to give a lot of detail, but he wanted to make sure if the public knew, whatever happened, it was only a tragic accident. As soon as that statement came out, none of it really made sense to any of us in the newsroom. You know, I don't think anybody knew what to believe at that point, but there were a lot of questions. Without details of how Gus's death was an accident,

the surprising statement from Jason's lawyer makes investigators even more suspicious of whose finger was on the trigger of the shotgun. Detectives test the weapon for prints in hopes of revealing a match. I personally processed the firearm, and there were no fingerprints on either the firearm or the shot shell that was found within the firearm

that were sufficient for comparison with the victim, Mr. Christofi, or anyone else present at the scene. Because it's Mr. Williams' firearm, I would expect to find Mr. Williams' fingerprints on him. But the firearm was wiped down. but the firearm was wiped down. For detectives, the shotgun's lack of forensic evidence, coupled with the distance it was found from Gus's body, further suggests the scene was tampered with, and makes them wonder if whoever wiped down the gun may have also been the same person who moved it.

Detectives continue piecing together the sequence of events by interviewing witnesses at the Mountain View Chalet. Jason was a frequent flyer at the Mountain View Chalet. We had a copy of the liquor bill. I believe the liquor bill itself was over $4,000. But from the statements that we obtained at the Mountain View Chalet, Gus wasn't drinking. Witnesses confirm Gus did not relapse on the night of his death.

But while Jason Williams is known to be the gem of Hunterdon County, a peek into his personal memoir candidly reveals a darker side to his lifestyle. You know, I'd heard about the book. I believe one of the detectives was reading it, suggested I read it. And sure enough, there were multiple examples of reckless conduct, as far as I was concerned, with mishandling firearms.

One of the incidents was in 1994, Mr. Williams wanted to show someone with him a firearm that he had recently acquired. And while showing this firearm, he decided to demonstrate how effectively he could shoot it. And so right there in the parking lot, he fired at a security vehicle. There were witnesses to this. He was subsequently arrested and given the benefit of PTI, or pre-trial intervention,

which is a first-time offenders program in New Jersey. Definitely think that there was an effort there to show that, yes, he had achieved success, but, you know, there was this mischievous side to him, and he did things that were questionable, that people would look at and say, I can't believe that you did that. Guns, alcohol, and reckless behavior raise suspicions around the former basketball star, but the lack of cooperation from witnesses willing to talk begins to take a toll on Gus's friends and family.

In the days that followed Gus's death, the story started to quickly change that Gus had not shot himself. It was an accident, and of course the question question is how did that happen exactly? Who shot him? It just makes you more angry. As things start to unfold, that story just did not set right with me. I'm like what really happened? Desperate for a break in the case, investigators put pressure on the witnesses by filing obstruction of justice

charges, hoping the looming threat will prompt someone to speak up. Two of Jason's friends who were at the scene that night, Ken Coluco and John Gordnick, come forward with their version of events that occurred that night. And finally, for the first time, they told us how Gus was killed. MUSIC One week after a single gunshot wound to the chest killed Gus Christoffey in the home of former basketball player Jason Williams, investigators finally have witnesses willing to give a statement. Ken Coluco and John Gordnick gave us the timeline of what happened to Gus.

Kent and John said the Globetrotter show was over sometime around 1030. Gus picked the four Globetrotters up at around 1045. According to Ken and John, Gus takes the crew from the comfort suites where they're staying to the Mountain View Chalet. They eat dinner there until about 1.15 in the morning, and then they're supposed to go back to the comfort suites, but Jason Williams asks everybody to come back to his place

and Gus drives them. Jason's home was not far from the Mountain View Chalet. That probably would have put them at his house around 1.30. And Jason's friends from the area invited Gus into the house. They had learned at that point that Gus was a huge fan of Jason's, and he had this little disposable camera. He was hoping to get a photograph with Jason. They went into the office.

They were looking at some photographs on Jason's computer. But the Globetrotters went into the bedroom. And at some point, Jason's about to demonstrate what he had demonstrated on a show called Cribs. He would go to celebrities' homes and show their homes, like their cribs. And he had demonstrated how he was able, with one arm, to break open a shotgun

and then, with one arm, snap it up and shoot it, almost like in one fluid motion, as it shut. And now Gus walks into the room at the point that Jason is removing the shotgun from the gun cabinet. So Gordnik and Coluco tell prosecutors that as he's holding it, the gun accidentally goes off and shoots Gus Christofi in the chest. And they say that this happens at 2.15 a.m., which is about 45 minutes before the 911 call actually came in at 2.54 a.m.

45 minutes is a lot of time, but I guess that's how long it took for them to get their stories together, because Jason, in that split-second concocted that it's gonna be that Gus killed himself. So at that point Coluco and Gordnik describe a chaotic scene. Jason immediately goes over grabs some type of cloth and starts wiping down the gun and as Gus is dying he takes Gus's hands and he puts it on the barrel of the shotgun. Because of course he knew law enforcement would be looking forensically for evidence of what happened.

Then he says to Kent, wipe it down again. Jason, he strips naked, gives his clothes that he's wearing to John Gordnik, and tells him to get rid of the clothes. Runs downstairs and dives into his indoor swimming pool, ostensibly to get rid of any gunpowder residue. After processing what could be the final moments of Gus's life, detectives now need to corroborate the witnesses' statements with evidence. John Gordnick did indicate his part in it, in taking the clothes and hiding it, and

accompanied law enforcement to the spot where he hid Jason's clothing that he was wearing when he shot and killed Gus. The clothing was certainly tested and there was blood found, Gus's blood. As prosecutors continue piecing the story together to support witness claims of an accidental homicide, they now have enough probable cause to confront Jason with formal charges. From the moment the 911 call came in on February 14th, over the course of the next 11 days, it was just a total roller coaster. The DA releases a statement on February 25th, basically asking Jason Williams to turn himself in.

He appeared at the jail, and then the Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office charged Jason Williams with second degree reckless manslaughter. All manslaughter cases are considered not intentional. And then there were the cover-up charges, which was hindering apprehension, tampering with evidence, and fabricating evidence,

which would have been the attempt to transfer Gus's fingerprints onto the gun. Shortly thereafter, he was released on bail, but the investigation continued, because you never know if you're going to acquire additional information. While family and friends still question the claims that this was all just a terrible accident, they're finally able to move forward with Gus's funeral service.

I was like in awe of the number of people who attended Gus's wake. who attended Gussie's wake. He was like one person after the next. They did come to pay their respects and share their stories of how he had touched their lives. He was just the best guy around, and he made a difference. When you have a record of an incarcerated addiction, people don't right away don't just trust you. I think Guss did a wonderful job of an incarcerated and addiction, people don't right away don't just trust you.

I think Gus did a wonderful job of buying back his credibility. And that's why so many people have so many nice things to say about Gus at his funeral. As hard as people tried to keep the media away, I remember coming out of church and the cameras were in our faces following us. And I was learning more than I ever wanted to really know about Jason Williams. If it had been an accident and you didn't mean to do it, why did he try to cover it up? I don't anger easily as a person, but that angered me.

As the story of how Gus was killed begins to take shape, investigators bring in the remaining witnesses for questioning. The four globetrotters that were there that night provided statements that matched the forensics. But Benoit Benjamin stood out to me because I knew that he actually really admired and respected Jason Williams. He did consider him a friend. He just felt really badly for what happened to Gus,

and he felt that we should know everything, including what Jason said to Gus prior to flipping up the gun and having a discharge. Where Benoit was positioned, he saw Jason breaking open the gun. He saw Gus there. There was a bullet in the lower chamber. Jason's finger was on the trigger. And Benoit said at that point, Jason said, what are you doing in here?

Your mother f-ing stole me. There's something to that effect. And that's when he brought the firearm up. And Gus was shot. And it became clear that this was looking really bad for Jason. Was Gus's death a tragic accident, or was this intentional? As prosecutors prepare to put Jason Williams on trial for the death of Gus Christoffey,

witness and Harlem Globetrotter Benoit Benjamin reveals Jason made a threatening comment towards Gus moments before the gun went off, casting doubt on the claim this was an accidental homicide. So I spent some time with Benoit Benjamin and I believe he wanted to do the right thing, and I believed 100% his testimony. This whole interaction between Gus and Jason, I think is important to show this rose to the level of aggravated manslaughter, which was a first degree offense. The witnesses are all given immunity for their cooperation and agree to testify in court.

In January 2004, the trial begins, and media coverage of the proceedings garners national attention. Very quickly into the prosecution of this case, I could see that it was going to be a challenge and maybe even impossible to keep the focus on what happened to Gus as opposed to everything about Jason Williams' life that really had no relevance to the fact that he was reckless with a gun and killed someone. There was a substantial media presence. At the time, court television was authorized to come in and record, you know, the proceedings every single day.

Jason Williams was the headline. It was almost like Jason Williams was the victim when my friend Gus was the victim. There really wasn't much information about Gus. He was either called Jason Williams' chauffeur or the limo driver, but that was about it. That's a problem in our society because some people are valued more than others. This juxtaposition between this super famous celebrity and this regular guy who was a limo driver trying to turn his life around. It was sort of like a Greek tragedy.

What came out during the trial was the statement that Jason made to Gus. So when witnesses testified, it was incredibly damaging to Jason Williams. What did you hear the defendant say before the shotgun fire? Exactly. In verbatim.

Um, I think we need to hear it verbatim. Yes, that's what they want. You say, what the f*** you doing in my motherf***ing room, you f***ing stoolie? You heard that? Yes. I think everybody was floored by it, and then it becomes really clear to everybody who's sitting there

that Jason was humiliating Gus all night. Benoit and other witnesses testified that Jason started making comments to Gus much earlier at the Mountain View Chalet. Gus was just such a nice guy. Some of the Globetrotters invited Gus to come into this private room. Jason was telling a story, and all of a sudden he turned to Mr. Christoffee and was like, what the f*** are you doing here? How the f*** did you get in here? And everyone got quiet.

Gus alarmed and kind of like taken back, stood up to leave, and Jason stands up and looks at Gus and says, oh man, I'm just messing with you. It's fine, sit down. It wasn't comforting to hear more details. In fact, it just raised more questions. Jason Williams was making jokes and sort of picking on Gussie.

There was a lot of drinking. So who better than Gussie to know what drinking does to one? But I can't even bring myself to imagine that Jason Williams pointed a loaded gun at Gussie. Because how negligent are you? How irresponsible can you be? Jason's history of carelessness with firearms becomes the main focus of the prosecution

to prove Gus's death was not an accidental homicide. I already had information that Mr. Williams was mishandling firearms and weapons previously. So it certainly stood out because his recklessness with the firearm that he used to kill Gus, quite comparable to some of the stuff that he was talking about doing in his book that he published. And one of the reasons that you can use this evidence to bring in front of a jury is to negate accident.

And of course, from the very beginning, Mr. Williams' defense was this was just a tragic accident. So we wanted to show, well, maybe if it was one time, you just had a firearm go off and you were shocked. But when you've had these repeated events and you've even described them yourself in your own book, our position was it's no longer just an accident. It was that he engaged in reckless conduct such that he should have known someone could have died. As the prosecution pleads their case

that Jason recklessly pulled the trigger while pointing the gun at Gus, details of how Jason persuaded his friends to lie about what happened haunts the courtroom. How did he say it? Say that you were downstairs, that you weren't in the courtroom. How did he say it? Say that you were downstairs, that you weren't in the room. I thought that Jason was trying to cover up by trying to portray Gus as the perpetrator instead of the victim.

It was horrible. Very, very selfish actions. That was the most hurtful part of the whole trial. That's all that Jason thought about at the time. My life, what's gonna happen to me? Not what about Gus? What about the person I just shot? There was no regards for my friend's life.

Jason's defense team ramps up their arguments in an effort to discredit the prosecution's case, casting reasonable doubt on whether the shot was intentional or not. If you looked at the evidence, you would say the evidence is overwhelming in this case. We had strong eyewitness testimony, but Jason Williams had a very effective legal defense team, and they spared no expense at doing everything that they could going after their credibility.

The Globetrotters were granted immunity. Well, you're only saying this because the prosecution agreed not to charge you. People were pretty split between believing it was a homicide and believing it was an accident. Nets fans just couldn't wrap their heads around it. People who loved Jason really wanted to believe that it was a harmless accident. And then you had a whole other section of the population who felt like he had been negligent with guns in the past

and that this was clearly a homicide. In the days leading up to the verdict, everything had gotten extremely tense, and it really all came down to, would he be charged with reckless manslaughter? On April 30, 2004, Huntington County prosecutors, the family of Gus Christoffey,

and fans of Jason Williams, anxiously await the jury's ruling if this was an accidental homicide or reckless manslaughter. After deliberating for four days, the jury came back with a split verdict. The jury found Jason Williams guilty of covering up the crime, but they deadlocked on the reckless manslaughter charge. Of course, the cover-up charges, I didn't see how anyone could not find him guilty of that, but having a hung jury, that was interesting because the jurors decided to believe that part of the testimony, just not the shooting and killing of Gus part of the testimony. just not the shooting and killing of Gus part of the testimony. I was disappointed that he wasn't found guilty of manslaughter.

It was a homicide. Maybe it wasn't intentional, but it happened. And for no decision on manslaughter, it boggled my mind. Six years pass while both sides prepare for a second trial, and after nearly a decade of court battles, justice for Gus Christoffi is in danger of slipping away. There's the risk that a second impenetrable jury is not going to find Jason guilty, or we have another hung jury, and then are we going to do this a third time? So the prosecutor at that time made the offer for a plea agreement. Jason Williams would agree in lieu of a homicide charge

to aggravated assault, which is what we call a pointing offense, where you actually aim a firearm at someone. So you can say Jason Williams killing Gus Christoffy. It was accidental, but it was reckless. And there would be some justice for Gus. On January 11, 2010, Jason pleads guilty to aggravated assault.

Please forgive me for the pain that I've caused to you, my children. You deserve a better father, son, brother than I have been. He served 18 months in prison, and he was released April 13, 2012. He was released April 13th, 2012. 18 months. Aggravated assault. Doesn't make any sense to me. It's sad. It's a tragedy.

Gus Gustafi didn't deserve to die. The sentence was a joke, really. Does it bring any type of justice? Maybe to some. I was not necessarily happy with the deal he had gotten, but it's expected when you have money like that. What always disturbed me about the case was what happened in the immediate aftermath.

Mr. Williams and the people in the house, even if this is an accident, how did they know that Mr. Christofi couldn't have lived after this shot? They're not doctors. Why didn't they call 911 and say, maybe this man can be saved? All of those people there,

and Gus is bleeding out and literally dying in front of them. It's tragic. I can comfortably say Jason Williams was responsible for that shotgun going off and killing my nephew. From the get-go, if he had been honest, I think it would have just changed the future, not just for Jason Williams, but for everyone. It would have been easier for the family. Like, just come out and say, I shot him by mistake.

And he would have been forgiven. He destroyed his own life too, besides taking Gussie's life. I'm glad that the truth was eventually unveiled because I never thought that Guss would take his life. Gussie was not ready to go and Gussie would not want his legacy to be. He was the limo driver who was shot by a famous person. What Gussie would want his legacy to be is that at any point in your life you can turn your life around and find a sense of purpose. And his sense of purpose that

he found was to help others. He was an uncle. He was Godfather to my children. I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to have been a part of his life. He was a wonderful person. He shared his unconditional love. That's what we will always remember. Experience in person the unsettling true stories behind the Dr. Death podcast at Exhibit C Live Presents Dr. Death, A Closer Look. This live tour experience brings you face to face with accounts of doctors who caused irreparable harm,

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