Wheelchair-bound man found guilty of murder after dispute at Gwinnett County gas station

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A dispute between two men at a Gwinnett County gas station last year turned violent, causing one man to lose his life.

This week, the shooter, a wheelchair-bound man, was found guilty of murder.

Willie Lee Jones, 48, was convicted on Thursday of two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of firearm by a felon for the May 10, 2023, shooting death of 64-year-old Benjamin Alonzo Francis.

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On May 10, 2023, both men encountered one another at a gas station near 6355 Jimmy Carter Boulevard. The two men were unfamiliar to one another, according to police.

During the investigation, surveillance video showed the two men exchange words before Francis, who was armed with a box cutter, attacked Jones, and knocked him from his wheelchair.

Jones got back into his wheelchair and called Michael Joe Kelly Davis, who brought a handgun to the gas station to give to Jones. Investigators say Jones wheeled his way toward where Francis was and fired multiple shots at Francis, killing him.

Francis fell, police said and landed on Jones, knocking him from his wheelchair and landing on Jones.

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Jones was able to lift Francis’ body off him and get back into the wheelchair to flee the scene. When he was interviewed by police and in court, Jones told police he shot Francis in self-defense.

Prior to the trial, Davis, who gave Jones the murder weapon, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. His sentence is unknown.

“Vigilantism is not the way to handle disputes,” said Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson. “A man was killed senselessly, and his family and loved ones must cope with his loss. We grieve with them and hope that this verdict and sentencing will help alleviate their suffering.”

Jones was sentenced to life in prison plus five years with the possibility of parole.

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