The Georgia Supreme Court affirmed the murder conviction and life sentence of Qamar Williams in a decision issued Jan. 21, 2026, rejecting his appeal of multiple felony convictions related to the fatal shooting of Calvin Chappell in April 2019.
Williams was convicted of malice murder and five other felonies following a September 2022 trial in DeKalb County. The jury found him guilty on all six counts, including malice murder, two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, and two firearm-related charges. He received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 15 additional years to be served consecutively.
The case stems from a shooting that occurred in the early morning hours of April 15, 2019, resulting in Chappell's death. A DeKalb County grand jury indicted Williams on July 9, 2019, on six counts including malice murder, felony murder predicated on aggravated assault, felony murder predicated on possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
During the trial held from Sept. 20 to 22, 2022, prosecutors successfully convinced the jury of Williams's guilt on all charges. The trial court sentenced Williams on Nov. 7, 2022, imposing life without parole for the malice murder conviction, 10 years consecutive for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and five years consecutive for possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. The aggravated assault charge merged into the malice murder count for sentencing purposes, while the two felony murder counts were vacated by operation of law.
Following his conviction, Williams filed a timely motion for a new trial on Dec. 5, 2022, which he later amended on May 24, 2024. The motion challenged multiple aspects of his trial and conviction. After conducting an evidentiary hearing, the trial court denied Williams's amended motion for a new trial on June 20, 2024.
Williams then appealed to the Georgia Supreme Court, filing his notice of appeal on July 19, 2024. In his appeal, Williams raised several arguments challenging his conviction and sentence. According to the Supreme Court opinion written by Justice Land, Williams argued that the trial court erred in finding that newly discovered evidence would likely not have produced a different verdict at trial.
Additionally, Williams challenged the trial court's jury instructions, arguing that the court both failed to give an involuntary intoxication charge and erred in finding that the failure to give such an instruction was not harmful to his defense. These arguments suggest that Williams's defense may have centered on claims that his actions were influenced by involuntary intoxication at the time of the shooting.
The Georgia Supreme Court's decision to affirm Williams's conviction means that all of his appellate arguments were rejected. The court found that the trial court properly handled the newly discovered evidence claims and that any issues with jury instructions did not warrant reversal of the conviction.
The case illustrates the appellate process in Georgia capital murder cases, where defendants sentenced to life without parole have the right to appeal their convictions to the state's highest court. The Supreme Court's review included examination of both the trial court's factual findings regarding newly discovered evidence and its legal determinations about jury instruction requirements.
Interestingly, the case record shows some procedural complexity regarding the State's handling of the appeal. The Supreme Court noted that during the case's first appearance before the court, the State moved to remand the case in order to incorporate the motion for new trial proceedings into the appellate record, demonstrating the importance of having a complete record for appellate review.
The conviction and affirmance represent the conclusion of a lengthy legal process that began with the 2019 shooting and extended through multiple years of trial preparation, trial, post-trial motions, and appellate proceedings. For the victim's family and the community, the Supreme Court's decision provides finality to a case involving violent crime.
Williams's legal options may now be limited to potential federal habeas corpus proceedings or other post-conviction relief mechanisms, though the Georgia Supreme Court's affirmance strengthens the State's position that the conviction was obtained through proper legal procedures.
The case adds to Georgia Supreme Court precedent regarding the standards for evaluating newly discovered evidence claims and the requirements for jury instructions in murder cases involving potential intoxication defenses. The decision reinforces that appellate courts will not disturb trial court findings on newly discovered evidence absent clear error in the legal standard applied.