Jalen Johnson Milan, 24, was killed when the bounty hunters opened fire on a vehicle in April 2017.

7 bounty hunters and bondsmen were initially charged, 2 made plea deals.

The bounty hunters claimed they acted in self-defense because someone in the car had a gun.

Only 1 defendant was convicted, on a charge of reckless endangerment.

After nearly three weeks of testimony, almost 50 witnesses, nearly 200 pieces of evidence, many hours of security camera and interview tapes, and just over five hours of deliberations, the jury has returned a verdict in the case of five bounty hunters and bondsmen charged in the mistaken identity slaying of Jalen Johnson Milan.

The defendants are not guilty on all counts, with the exception of one charge: Joshua Young was convicted of reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon.

Clarksville Police and prosecutors alleged that Johnson Milan, a 24-year-old father of three young children, was killed when the bounty hunters opened fire on a vehicle he was in while looking for another man on April 23, 2017.

Seven bounty hunters and bondsmen were initially charged in the case. Two of them, Jonathan Schnepp Jr., 33, and Kenneth Chiasson, 40, reached plea deals with prosecutors in exchange for their testimony.

The remaining five defendants on trial included William Byles II, 32; Antwon Keesee, 33; Roger West Jr., 32; and Joshua Young, 28, all of Clarksville, and Prentice Williams, of Central City, Kentucky.

COMING NEXT WEEK: A deeper look at how the jury reached the verdict, what happened the night of the slaying, and what's next for those involved.

Each faced 16 charges, including first-degree murder, attempted second degree murder, especially aggravated kidnapping, attempted especially aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, employing firearms in commission of dangerous felony, and felony reckless endangerment.

Prosecutors made the case that the bounty hunters and bondsmen worked together to have an informant set up a drug deal in order to catch William Ellis, who'd jumped bond. Instead, they wound up confronting four men, including Johnson Milan, at a Walmart parking lot and opened fire when the victims attempted to drive away. Prosecutors said they then chased the four men in their vehicles, while still firing and ramming the car with at least one of their vehicles, according to victim testimony.

Johnson Milan was fatally wounded with a gunshot that pierced his heart and lungs, according to the medical examiner who performed his autopsy. The driver of the car Johnson Milan was in was shot in the neck but survived his injuries.

Defense attorneys contended their clients did not break any laws, did not know their intended target Ellis wasn't in the vehicle, and were simply acting in self-defense when the car sped off, hitting several bounty hunters in the process. They also said several bounty hunters clearly saw someone with a gun inside the vehicle, who they believed fired first before they returned fire.

In spite of his one conviction, Young's attorney called the verdict a vindication.

"I think it vindicates that they used self-defense out there," said Reid Poland, adding that he believes that the lone guilty verdict for his client will eventually be expunged from his record. "He's never been in trouble before. He's a fine young man. I think the jury spoke with the 15 not guilty counts. He was basically just found guilty of his firearm going off in a parking lot."

The lead prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney Daniel Brollier, said he's disappointed in the outcome of the case.

"I am obviously very disappointed with the verdicts," Brollier said in a statement to The Leaf-Chronicle.

Family members of the defendants expressed relief.

"I feel relieved. I feel blessed," said Betty Keesee, the grandmother of Antwon Keesee and William Byles. "I'm so thankful, because I knew they were good boys. Thank god," she said, with tears streaming down her cheeks.

Young's sentencing date was set for Oct. 16.

Reach Jennifer Babich at 931-245-0742 or by email at jbabich@gannett.com. To support her work, consider signing up for a digital subscription at TheLeafChronicle.com.