Howard Hawk Willis
Photo courtesy of TriCites.com
THE BIG QUESTION WAS WHETHER OR NOT THE TRIAL FOR A JOHNSON CITY NATIVE WOULD START TODAY IN WASHINGTON COUNTY TENNESSEE CRIMINAL COURT AFTER NEARLY FIVE YEARS OF POSTPONEMENTS. JURY SELECTION DID BEGIN THIS MORNING FOR HOWARD HAWK WILLIS, WHO IS CHARGED WITH THREE COUNTS OF FIRST DEGREE MURDER AND THREE COUNTS OF ABUSE OF A CORPSE. WILLIS IS ACCUSED IN THE DISMEMBERMENT DEATHS OF 17 YEAR OLD ADAM CHRISMER AND HIS WIFE, 16 YEAR OLD SAMANTHA LEMING. CHRISMER’S SEVERED HEAD AND HANDS WERE FOUND IN AN AREA LAKE, WHILE THE REST OF HIS REMAINS, ALONG WITH LEMING’S, WERE FOUND IN CONTAINERS IN A DOWNTOWN STORAGE WAREHOUSE IN OCTOBER 2002. WILLIS IS ALSO ACCUSED IN THE DEATH OF HIS STEPFATHER, SAM THOMAS, WHOSE HEAD WAS FOUND NEAR WINGED DEER PARK. THE REST OF HIS REMAINS WERE FOUND ON THE GEORGIA SIDE OF LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN. WILLIS HAS FIRED SEVERAL OF HIS ATTORNEY’S DURING HIS JOURNEY THROUGH THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM. THE TRIAL IS EXPECTED TO LAST ABOUT THREE WEEKS.