Hannibal man pleads guilty to June 2020 shooting death and drug possession, will serve 17 years in Department of Corrections

HANNIBAL, Mo. — A Hannibal man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to voluntary manslaughter and possession of a controlled substance in a county jail in exchange for a prison term of 17 years.

Corey L. Cobb, 28, had been charged with one count of second-degree murder, a Class A felony, in the June 4, 2020 shooting death of Billy Ray Williams, 45, of Hannibal. Cobb instead pled guilty before Judge Rachel Bringer Shepherd in Marion County Circuit Court to the amended charge of voluntary manslaughter, a Class B felony.

Cobb and his attorney, Thomas Peterson, appeared by video for Tuesday’s disposition hearing, as did Shepherd. Cobb answered many questions from Shepherd during the hearing, usually politely answering “yes, ma’am” or “no, ma’am.”

The sentencing range was between 5 and 15 years for the voluntary manslaughter charge and between 1 and 7 years for the possession charge. Marion County Prosecuting Attorney Luke Bryant said Cobb had agreed to accept 10 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections on the voluntary manslaughter charge and 7 years for the possession charge. The sentences must run consecutively.

A probable cause statement filed by the Hannibal Police Department showed police officers were called to the 2100 block Gordon Street at 9:17 p.m. June 4, 2020, for a report of someone being shot. When officers arrived, they found Williams lying on the road and unresponsive. He was transported to Hannibal Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He had injuries consistent with gunshot wounds in his back.

Williams’ vehicle, a blue Chevrolet Camaro, was on the scene and had damage consistent with gunshots to the passenger side. There appeared to be blood inside the vehicle on the center console. Located in the street, a short distance from the vehicle, were seven .40-caliber shell casings.

Several subjects on the scene said they heard Cobb had shot Williams but did not see what had happened. One witness positively identified Cobb as the person who shot into Williams’ vehicle. The witness also said Cobb and Williams were in a physical altercation before the shooting, and also related seeing Cobb run behind a tree on the south side of the road before leaving the error. Officers searched the area and found two handguns, one a loaded .40-caliber gun.

Cobb was arrested on a warrant by U.S. Marshals on June 17, 2020, in St. Louis. Bond on the warrant was set at $1 million. 

Cobb was charged with possession of cocaine, a Class D felony, within the premises of the Marion County Jail on June 19, 2020 — two days after he was arrested in St. Louis.