Skip to content
Sections
  • Obituaries
  • eEdition
  • Popular Content
  • Submit a Tip
May 16th, 2022
  • QUICK LINKS
  • Obituaries
  • eEdition
  • Popular Content
  • Submit a Tip
  • News
  • Columbus & Lowndes County
  • Starkville & Oktibbeha County
  • West Point & Clay County
  • Area
  • State
  • National
  • Business
  • Sports
  • High School Sports
  • College Sports
  • Local Columns
  • Opinions
  • Local Columns
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Roses & Thorns
  • Dispatch Editorials
  • Obituaries
  • Lifestyles
  • Columns
  • Entertainment
  • Food
  • Transitions & Announcements
  • Community
  • Religion
  • Classifieds
  • Photo Galleries
  • Public Records
  • Building Permits
  • Marriages & Divorces
May 16th, 2022

Open eyes, open minds.

  • News
  • Starkville & Oktibbeha County

Chisholm gets life sentence for killing Starkville optometrist

Defense’s plea for insanity acquittal falls on deaf ears

By Tyler B. Jones • July 31, 2021

William Thomas “Tommy” Chisholm and defense attorney Mark Cliett watch as Circuit Court Clerk Tony M. Rook reads the guilty verdict Friday in Chisholm’s capital murder trial. Chisholm received a life sentence without parole for murdering his ex-girlfriend, Dr. Shauna Witt, at the Walmart Vision Center in Starkville in 2018. William Thomas “Tommy” Chisholm and defense attorney Mark Cliett watch as Circuit Court Clerk Tony M. Rook reads the guilty verdict Friday in Chisholm’s capital murder trial. Chisholm received a life sentence without parole for murdering his ex-girlfriend, Dr. Shauna Witt, at the Walmart Vision Center in Starkville in 2018. Tyler B. Jones/Dispatch Staff

STARKVILLE — William Thomas “Tommy” Chisholm will spend the rest of his life in prison after an Oktibbeha County Circuit Court jury found him guilty Friday of capital murder.

Chisholm, 44, of Kosciusko, fatally shot his ex-girlfriend, Dr. Shauna Witt, an optometrist who ran the eye clinic at Walmart Vision Center on Highway 12 in Starkville, on Jan. 13, 2018. After the four-day trial, the jury deliberated only 26 minutes Friday before delivering the verdict.

Because Chisholm is convicted of capital murder, the only sentencing options are life in prison or the death penalty. The victim’s family asked prosecutors not to pursue the death penalty because that indictment could potentially delay the trial, and they wanted justice as soon as possible, District Attorney Scott Colom said.

Colom, in a press conference following the verdict, said his team worked tirelessly over the past three years to get to this point and is glad Chisholm is finally “getting what he deserves.”

“Moments like these are why we do our jobs — to hold people accountable for horrible decisions like this because we want to show people that’s not the kind of community we have here in Starkville,” Colom said. “… When people bring that kind of violence to Starkville, we’re going to hold you accountable to the extent that we can.”

Chisholm’s defense attorney, Mark Cliett of West Point, said he and his client are discussing a possible appeal.

In his closing argument, Cliett said he thought his client could plead “heat of passion” manslaughter, but that was not an option. He asked the jury to consider finding Chisholm not guilty on reason of insanity, even though the witness the defense brought forward to testify to Chisholm’s mental capacity — licensed professional counselor Dr. Jennifer Carroll — was ruled unqualified to testify when she took the stand Thursday because she is not a licensed psychologist.

“I think the theme of my argument is sometimes things don’t work out,” Cliett said. “I mean in general, in life, in relationships, in this trial, sometimes things don’t work out.”

Colom said Dr. Witt’s family can now rest knowing justice has been served. Bo Oswalt, the family’s spokesperson, said there have been a multitude of brave and kind acts displayed to them over the years from the DA’s office and Starkville Police Department, and the family is forever grateful for their dedication to this case.

“Shuana’s motto for her life was ‘Choose joy,’” Oswalt said at the post-conviction press conference. “If you know anything about joy, it’s a long-term thing. It doesn’t depend on the immediate circumstances. It’s just placing your hope and your trust into something that is long-term. This is what we have chosen. We have chosen to choose joy over these last three and a half years.”

Popular

Business: As liquor store owners compete for hard-to-find bottles, some turn to bots

By Brian Jones

Junior Auxiliary of Columbus announces new executive board

By Dispatch Staff Report

Softball: Tears flow freely as New Hope’s season comes to an end

By Tom Rysinski

Partial to Home: A day on the river

By Birney Imes


Public Information Links

  • City of Columbus
  • Lowndes County
  • City of Starkville
  • Oktibbeha County
  • City of West Point
  • Clay County
  • Building Permits
  • Marriages & Divorces
  • MS Dept of Health Restaurant Inspections


On This Day 2021

Six candidates, three internal, apply for Columbus COO

By Isabelle Altman

Featured Podcast

The C Dispatch Podcast

Sections

  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinions
  • Lifestyles
  • Obituaries

Info

  • About
  • Contact
  • Submit a Tip
  • Terms & Service
  • Popular Content

Dispatch

Contact Us

Main Switchboard:

(662) 328-2424

Physical Address:

516 Main Street
Columbus, MS 39701

Mailing Address:

PO Box 511
Columbus, MS 39701

cdispatch.com © 2022 – The Commerical Dispatch

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT