Witness says Fresno man was killed just because he wouldn’t move out of friend’s home
A witness to the murder of Michael Williams testified Tuesday that when two unknown men confronted him about moving out of a friend’s house, she had no idea they were going to kill him.
Leesa Pena said she was in shock after watching her friend Williams drop to the ground after being shot once in the head on Feb. 22 inside of a home in the 3100 block of Ashcroft Avenue.
The two men charged with Williams’s murder are Kevin Archie Cooper, 50, and his 25-year-old son Aaron Cooper.
During their preliminary hearing Tuesday, Pena testified that the two men came to the house around 6 p.m. and forcibly told Williams he needed to move out. One of the men had a handgun, she testified.
“The guy holding the gun told Michael he needed to leave and Michael said, ‘No, I am not going to leave you are going to have to shoot me,” she said. “And then the other guy said ‘do it’.”
And what happened next?, asked prosecutor Daniel Walters.
“The guy shot him,” Pena said.
Who that person was is not clear. Pena said the two men had masks on and she could not positively identify either man in court as being the shooter.
The prosecution’s key witness, Christopher Gayer, the owner of the home where the murder happened, also had trouble remembering certain details.
He also admitted to lying to detectives initially because he was afraid of possible retribution.
Gayer testified that he allowed Williams, a friend from work, to stay at his home because he felt bad for him. At the time, Williams was sleeping in his car.
But after three weeks, Williams became unbearable, Gayer said.
“He was very aggressive and violent,” Gayer testified. “There was a lot of screaming and yelling and threats. At one point he told me ‘I have two choices, I could leave my home or I could stay and die.’”
Gayer confided in a friend, Aaron Cooper, about the problem he was having. He also asked Cooper to help him get Williams out.
The day of the murder, the Cooper’s arrived at Gayer’s home, along with Gayer. He testified that he recalled seeing a chrome handgun at the Cooper’s home and later he saw it in the hands of Kevin Cooper, Aaron Cooper’s father.
Deputy Public Defender Samuel Bullock, who represents Aaron Cooper, asked Gayer about whether he saw either man with a gun and he said he couldn’t remember. But when Walters asked him about it, he testified he saw it in Kevin’s hand.
Bullock asked Gayer if he lied to him about not seeing the gun and he said yes. He also admitted to being afraid of testifying.
“I am still worried about this stuff and things happening,” Gayer said.
Defense attorney Alex Martin is representing Kevin Cooper.
After the shooting, Gayer said he left with the Coopers and drove out to a remote area where they burned their clothes in a fire. They also stayed in a motel for one one night before returning to their respective homes.
Gayer testified that he was warned not to say anything about the shooting.
But when asked if he saw who shot Williams, Gayer said he didn’t. He also could not explain why he picked up a spent shell casing after the shooting.
Walters asked Gayer point blank if he asked the Coopers to kill Williams and he said no.
The preliminary hearing continues Wednesday in Dept. 62.
This story was originally published March 29, 2022 at 5:42 PM.
