Guilty Verdict in 2023 Murder in Liquor Store Parking Lot

April 2, 2025, Peoria, IL - Today, a Peoria County Jury found Jared R. Williams, 19, guilty of Second-Degree Murder. Williams shot and killed Mason R. Loy, 21, in August 2023 in the parking lot of Laramie Liquors. Loy was shot four times and was pronounced dead at the scene.

During the two-day trial, the case centered on whether Williams acted in self-defense, as there was a surveillance video that captured Williams shooting Loy. Williams took the stand and admitted to shooting Loy but claimed he acted out of fear for his life due to previous threats made by Loy. One such threat that occurred earlier that summer was recorded on video and shown to the jury. In that video, Loy visited the Williams home looking for him but instead found Williams's family, where he threatened to kill both Williams and his family. However, nothing occurred at that time.

The State was proceeding on First Degree Murder charges because surveillance video of the incident supported the theory that Williams was the aggressor that night, not Loy. The footage shown to the jury captured Williams sitting in a vehicle in the parking lot while Loy was inside the store. When Loy walked out of the store and towards Williams's vehicle, he was unarmed and had his hands at his sides. Williams, on the other hand, was armed, and when he got out of the vehicle, he walked towards Loy and pointed his gun at him. Upon seeing the gun, Loy turned and tried to run away, but Williams opened fire, and Loy was shot four times. Three of those bullets struck him in the back, killing him. During closing arguments, Assistant State's Attorney Dave Gast stated that Williams knew the moment he got out of the vehicle that he intended to kill Loy, and that is exactly what transpired. Because of the previous threats, however, the Second Degree charge was also given to the Jury.

After the murder, Williams fled the scene and was arrested days later in Normal, Illinois, still in possession of the gun he used to kill Loy. Six shell casings collected from the scene were a match for that gun.

At the time of the murder, Williams was 17 years old, and the case was automatically transferred to adult felony court. Sentencing is set for May 21.

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