A Sawyerville man is facing murder charges after a fatal stabbing on July 4 near the post office in Sawyerville.
Charles “C.J.” Wilson Jr., 33, is accused of fatally stabbing Don Cornelius Fields during what court records describe as a violent altercation that started on Topaz Road.
According to the criminal complaint filed in Hale County District Court, the two men were involved in a fight after Wilson allegedly became angry that Fields had offered help to another man who was installing lights nearby. “Wilson said Fields was trying to cut in on his money,” according to the complaint.
Wilson allegedly produced a 12-inch knife and stabbed Fields in the chest after a scuffle. Fields was rushed to Hale County Hospital by private vehicle but died shortly after arrival.
Wilson was arrested and charged with murder.
Court records show that Wilson has multiple charges stemming from a separate 2018 incident that were never resolved and are now being revisited in light of the new case.
According to a filing by Assistant District Attorney Sarah Holland, those older charges were set to go before the grand jury in November 2019 but were never presented. The state now intends to bring them before the next available Hale County grand jury, Holland said in her filing.
The charges from the 2018 incident include second- degree assault, discharging a firearm into an occupied building, and five counts of reckless endangerment. That case stems from a reported shooting on County Road 17 in Sawyerville, where Wilson allegedly fired into a car with people inside while fire crews were responding to a house fire. One woman was reportedly shot during that incident.
In response to the renewed attention on those past charges, Wilson’s defense attorney, David Shaw, has filed a motion under Rule 404(b) of the Alabama Rules of Evidence. The motion asks the court to require the prosecution to disclose whether they intend to introduce evidence of the 2018 case in the current murder prosecution and to place any such disclosure under seal.
Wilson remains in custody as of press time.
