A Gwinnett County man has been sentenced to life in prison plus 20 years without parole after being found guilty in a violent 2020 motel robbery that left one man dead and another permanently blinded.
On Monday, a jury convicted 29-year-old Hakiem Sherif Williams of malice murder, felony murder, armed robbery, and aggravated assault stemming from the September 6, 2020, shooting of Mihn Nguyen, 23, and Xiu Han, 32, at a Motel 6 in Norcross.
According to the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office, Nguyen and Han checked into the motel to purchase drugs from Williams. Prosecutors said Williams learned the men were carrying thousands of dollars in cash and plotted to rob them.
Williams reportedly sold the pair crack cocaine and suggested bringing a woman to entertain them. Han and Nguyen later picked up Mary Jo Tarr, who accompanied them back to the motel. While Tarr distracted the victims, Williams emerged from the bathroom with a handgun and demanded the backpack of money.
When Nguyen resisted, Williams fatally shot him in the face and temple. He then shot Han in the temple, leaving him blind.
Williams fled the scene with Tarr, his girlfriend, and his children, eventually heading to Wilmington, North Carolina. Tarr later separated from the group and confessed her involvement to a homeowner, leading to an anonymous tip to police.
Authorities used fingerprint evidence and facial recognition software from Williams’ girlfriend’s social media account to confirm his identity. Tarr testified at the trial, and investigators corroborated her story with surveillance footage and physical evidence.
Gwinnett District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said the case left lasting trauma. “This heinous robbery scheme caused irreparable damage to these victims and to their families,” she said. “Though the verdict won’t make these victims and their families whole, we hope that justice will help bring them solace.”
