NAMPA, Idaho — A man accused of shooting his roommate to death inside a Nampa apartment in September is back in Idaho to face the murder charge.
Christopher James Williams, 21, is charged with second-degree murder, robbery, burglary, multiple counts of grand theft, and fraudulent possession of financial cards.
Police say Williams, who was originally from Philadelphia, had been living with the victim, 22-year-old James Daniel Chantz, in an apartment complex on Orchard Avenue. On the night of Sept. 16, according to a probable cause affidavit, a neighbor heard shots coming from the men's apartment and saw a black male leave the unit, get in Chantz pickup truck, and drive away.
Officers who responded to the apartment opened the unlocked door to see the victim sitting with his back to the door "in a pool of blood."
An officer yelled for Chantz, who was holding a pair of pliers according to the affidavit, to show his hands. When he did not respond or move, the officer shot him with a Taser and put handcuffs on him.
"When officers checked Chantz they found wounds consistent with a gunshot," the probable cause affidavit states. "Chantz was not able to respond to questions and was 'in a catatonic state.'"
The victim, who had been shot in the head, forearm, and thigh, was taken to a local hospital, where he died the next day.
Williams made his way to Utah in Chantz's pickup, police say, where seven people total called in to report him as a drunk driver near Tremonton in Box Elder County. A Utah State Police trooper attempted to pull him over, but Williams did not stop, leading law enforcement on a pursuit.
Williams was ultimately taken into custody after jumping out of the pickup and trying to run away. A wallet belonging to Chantz and several guns were found inside the vehicle.
The suspect was booked into the Box Elder County Jail on DUI and other charges.
In interviews with Nampa Police, Williams said he had come to Nampa to stay with Chantz in order to get away from his troubles in Philadelphia. Chantz allowed the other man to move in with him and got him a job, but things soured between them after Williams lost the job, the suspect said. According to the affidavit, Williams told detectives that the victim "held it over him" that Chantz had helped him.
On the day he was shot, Chantz met up with the mother of his child, who was set to move in with him, and told her was going to ask Williams to leave early, according to the affidavit. The victim also complained that his Glock handgun was missing, and he believed Williams had taken it during an earlier camping trip, the woman told police.
In his interview, Williams told detectives that he and Chantz had quarreled after the victim told Williams he would like him to move out of the apartment a day early, and Williams refused. He said Chantz had pulled a gun on him during the argument and the two men struggled over the handgun, as Chantz hit him with a pair of pliers.
Ultimately, Williams said, he got the gun out of his roommate's grasp and shot him several times. The suspect said he then left the apartment, taking Chantz' pickup.
Williams also admitted to using his roommate's card to buy gas, beer, and other purchases after leaving the scene of the shooting.
A warrant in the murder case was issued in October, and Williams was extradited back to Idaho, where he was booked into the Canyon County Jail Tuesday.
Williams is currently held without bond. A preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 30.
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