Families Demand Answers After Sheriff Captain's Son Spends Just 10 Hours in Jail on Double-Murder Charges

Families of fatal crash victims are upset and demand answers after a 22-year-old man charged with double murder walked out of jail in just over 10 hours.

Jason Williams, 49, and Charise Dickerson, 42, were killed on 24 September, Thursday, while riding an e-bike on Tilghman Road in Wilson, North Carolina.

Police charged Collin McLaughlin with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of felony by motor vehicle.

According to police search warrants from the night of the crash, McLaughlin tested positive for alcohol on a breath test at the scene and showed signs of impairment during the sobriety test at the hospital.

McLaughlin turned himself in Friday morning and was released on a $1 million bond by Friday afternoon. This quick release left the grieving family members upset and worried that justice might be thrown under the rug, considering the suspect's father is Captain James McLaughlin, a 30-year veteran of the Wilson County Sheriff's Office.

Court records show this was far from his first time speeding. McLaughlin has accumulated five separate driving offenses dating back to 2022, including three tickets in 2026 alone, with his most recent citation occurring three months before the fatal crash.

In every past case, his charges were reduced to lesser offenses, allowing a repeat offender to repeatedly get off the hook with minor fines or warnings before a tragedy finally occurred.

'I Feel Empty': Families Unite in Grief and Anger

The tragedy has brought two families together outside the Wilson County Courthouse seeking justice for the death of their loved ones. The two families have never met before the crash but now share the same painful loss and the same fight for justice.

Charise Dickerson's daughter, Danaja, said, 'I feel empty.' She described the overwhelming pain of losing her mother, saying she feels that there's an empty void and she feels lost.

The mother of Charise, Alesa Dickerson, cried and grieved the loss of her only daughter. 'We've got to see some kind of justice,' she said.

Friends and relatives of Jason Williams remembered him as a kind man who always tried to make people smile. His childhood friend, Clifton Hines, said. 'Jason was loving, had a heart of gold.'

As the two families stand together, relatives and supporters are rallying around the social media calls for accountability, sharing hashtags like #JusticeForJasonWilliams and #JusticeForChariseDickerson to make sure the public does not forget their loved ones.

Concerns Over Law Enforcement Ties

Due to only 10 hours of jail time, families are compounded by deep worries and questions about how the case is being handled.

A newly released 911 call revealed that after the crash, McLaughlin called his father before asking for emergency help.

Considering the suspect's father's high-ranking position in local law enforcement, the families of the victims publicly questioned whether the investigation would remain fair and unbiased.

Jason Williams' sister, Angela Williams, said, 'We are not asking for anyone to be treated differently. We are just asking for transparency, answers, and accountability'

Meanwhile, the Wilson County Sheriff's Office issued a statement extending condolences to the families of the victims, while insisting they have not tried to influence the District Attorney or the case, as the case is handled by the Wilson Police Department independently, to ensure a complete and fair investigation.