GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A family expressed relief after a judge ordered that their loved one’s killer will remain in a mental hospital following a ruling earlier this month.
They spoke exclusively Thursday to Channel 2’s Michael Seiden for the first time since the judge’s ruling.
The family of 26-year-old Allen Willard Jr. has spent nearly seven years seeking justice after he was shot and killed by Daniel Colvin in November 2018.
Colvin was found not guilty by reason of insanity in September, leading to the recent ruling that he must stay in a mental facility due to concerns that he poses a threat to himself and the community.
Kelly Willard, Allen’s brother, shared his ongoing sense of loss and admiration for his sibling,
“When I think of what a man is, I think of my brother. That’s the ideal person the ideal way to live,” he said.
Jessika Willard Sheehan, Allen’s sister, expressed her disbelief about the betrayal by Colvin, who was once considered a friend to their family.
“It’s just unspeakable. Unimaginable. How can you betray a family that brought you in?” she said.
Allen Willard Jr. served six years in the U.S. Army, including a tour in Afghanistan, before coming back to help run his family’s wrecker service, where he worked alongside Colvin.
“He would give the shirt off his back. If you needed him, he was there,” said Allen’s brother Collin Willard.
The family endured numerous delays before the trial finally commenced nearly seven years after the murder.
Despite the judge’s decision to keep Colvin in a mental hospital, the Willard family still feels they have not received the justice they sought.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]