The man accused of beating his roommate to death with a baseball bat decided to forego his preliminary hearing Wednesday afternoon.
Andrew Williamson, 46, of 149 Winn Ave. Apt. 1, has been incarcerated since Sept. 11 on murder and tampering with physical evidence charges for the death of 54-year-old Joseph Jones.
Restrained in handcuffs and shackles, Williamson appeared in Clark District Court Wednesday for his hearing. His attorney¿Kyle Morris said Williamson requested to waive the case directly to the grand jury, rather than have the hearing in which prosecutors would have to establish probable cause for the charges.
Williamson has already told police that he killed Jones on the front porch of their residence late on Sept. 10.
In his interview with detectives, he said they got into an argument, which became heated. Winchester Police Capt. James Hall said Williamson admitted to going into his room, retrieving the baseball bat and hitting Jones in the head several times.
There were no eyewitnesses, police said, but other residents had information which verified Williamson’s account.
Williamson said he used a tarp to move Jones’ body to the rear of the building where his pickup truck was parked. When police arrived around 11:30 p.m., they found Williamson standing near the truck with the body lying on a tarp near the truck. Williamson said he was trying to load the body into his truck.
Police did not suspect drugs or alcohol as factors in the case, and Williamson has no prior criminal history in Clark County.
He is being held in the Clark County Detention Center on a $500,000 cash bond.
Contact Fred Petke at fpetke@winchestersun.com.
