Shawn Elliott Dees, 31, was accused of reckless handling of a firearm, which resulted in the 2002 death of Rick Neal Williamson, 43. According to court records, Williamson was killed by a single shot to the head with a .22-caliber rifle.
Dees entered a blind plea last year to a felony count of first-degree manslaughter and a misdemeanor count of reckless handling of a firearm. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison and ordered to receive alcohol treatment and attain his General Education Development diploma. Dees' case was set to be reviewed in a year to determine if Dees had complied with the court orders.
According to an amended judgment and sentence filed Aug. 28, the court ordered that the balance of Dees' 20-year sentence be suspended upon successful completion of Sequoyah County Drug Court, which is a drug and alcohol treatment program for non-violent offenders that focuses on rehabilitation instead of incarceration.
Sheriff's deputies were first dispatched to the scene where Williamson was killed after receiving a call that a man had been shot at the bridge over Little Sallisaw Creek south of Sallisaw.
Sequoyah County Sheriff Johnny Philpot reported in August 2002 that Dees approached several men who worked for a tree service and allegedly asked the men if they minded if he and Williamson did some shooting. Dees then walked back to the truck, took out a rifle with a scope, loaded the gun, and began to sight the scope in several directions, Philpot said.
The witnesses said the passenger never got out of the truck, and the witnesses went back to what they were doing when they heard a single gunshot. When they turned around, the passenger was slumped over and Dees was running around the truck to the passenger. Dees dropped the gun on the ground and pulled the body from the truck while yelling at the workers to help him.
When one of the witnesses picked up the gun and put it in a truck to secure it, a struggle ensued between the witness and Dees, which resulted in Dees recovering the gun and then fleeing the scene. He later surrendered, maintaining that the shooting was accidental.
Dees took Philpot and deputies to Tower Estates south of U.S. Highway 64 between Sallisaw and Muldrow, where Dees' truck and the victim were located.
Dees said he panicked after the accidental shooting and placed the victim in the back of his truck, drove to Tower Estates, and left the body in some weeds. Dees also said that he hid the weapon, which was later found in a hollow log by search dogs.
