DOCUMENT: Sports, Crime

State Says Jayson Williams Was Drunk

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State Says Jayson Williams Was Drunk

A drunk Jayson Williams cursed at chauffeur Costas Christofi moments before accidentally killing the 55-year-old driver with a shotgun blast, according to a legal brief filed yesterday (10/30) by Hunterdon County, New Jersey prosecutors (key excerpts of which you'll find below). The document lays out the most detailed account yet of what investigators allege transpired at Williams's palatial estate last February. According to the government filing, as Williams toyed with his 12-gauge Browning, he told guests that he was a firearms "professional." But as the former NBA star snapped the gun together, the weapon discharged, hitting Christofi--who was standing just three feet away--in the chest with 12 buckshot pellets. Williams has been charged with several felonies, including first-degree manslaughter, and faces nearly 45 years in prison. Note: Those "T1" citations refer to portions of secret grand jury testimony. (8 pages)