Man Sentenced to Life Without Parole for Motel 6 Murder and Armed Robbery in Norcross

A Gwinnett County jury has found Hakiem Sherif Williams, 29, guilty of malice murder, felony murder, armed robbery, and aggravated assault for the 2020 shooting that left one man dead and another permanently blinded. Williams was sentenced to life in prison plus 20 years without the possibility of parole.

The charges stem from a September 6, 2020, incident at a Motel 6 in Norcross, Georgia. That morning, 23-year-old Mihn Nguyen and 32-year-old Cheng Xiu Han checked into the motel, where they encountered Williams and arranged to purchase drugs from him. After learning the victims had a backpack containing thousands of dollars in cash, Williams devised a plan to rob them.

Williams sold the pair crack cocaine and offered to arrange for a stripper. He and the victims 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 cash-filled backpack. When Nguyen resisted, Williams shot him in the face and temple, killing him. Williams then shot Han in the temple, leaving him permanently blind.

Following the shooting, Williams, Tarr, Williams’ girlfriend, and his children fled to Wilmington, North Carolina. Tarr later confessed her involvement to a homeowner, who alerted authorities.

During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence including fingerprint matches found in Han’s car and facial recognition data from Williams’ girlfriend’s social media account. Tarr testified against Williams, and surveillance footage corroborated her account while contradicting Williams’ version of events.

The case was prosecuted by Managing Assistant District Attorney Klaxon Wilson and Assistant District Attorney Roderick Burnette, with assistance from DA’s Investigators Vance Williams and Brad Wiley, and Victim Witness Advocate Wonsiah Kermah. The Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office and Gwinnett County Police Department also assisted in the investigation.