Yaquan "Squeeze" Williams was clear in his message to the police informant: "If you're snitching, I give you my word, I'll kill you."

That was the threat delivered to the informant, Mary Johnson, by Williams, Johnson told police.

The following morning — Jan. 23, 2009 — Johnson was found lying in the first block of Chester Street, shot multiple times in the back.

She later died.

But before she died, a city policeman testified Monday in Lancaster County Court, Johnson named her killer.

It was "Squeeze," she said, also known as Williams.

Judge Dennis Reinaker has been asked to decide several legal issues before the case goes to trial in September, including whether Johnson's identification of Williams can be considered a dying declaration.

Statements by a person who knows they are dying can be admitted as evidence in court, based on the contention that most people do not lie when they know they are about to die.

Williams, 29, of Jackson Street, is charged with criminal homicide and illegally possessing a firearm.

Prosecutors have said that if Williams is convicted of first-degree murder, they will seek the death penalty.

On Monday, Williams, dressed in green prison garb, listened intently as investigators with city police and the department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms testified during a pretrial hearing in Lancaster County Court.

Charles Bowman, an ATF special agent, told Reinaker that he first met Johnson on Jan. 15, 2009.

She agreed to make recorded phone calls to Williams, whom police suspected was involved in selling drugs and guns in Lancaster County, Bowman said.

While investigators listened, Johnson called Williams and discussed the purchase of two assault-type rifles and crack cocaine for $2,450.

The following day, Johnson wore a recording device as she met Williams at Lime and Susquehanna streets, buying $250 worth of cocaine, Bowman said.

The guns, Williams told Johnson, weren't available, but would be later, Bowman testified.

About a week later, when investigators met again to arrange the gun purchase, Bowman testified, Johnson told them they had a problem.

Johnson told police that another woman told Williams she was working with investigators.

Bowman said Johnson told him that, despite her denial, Williams responded: "If you're snitching, I give you my word, I'll kill you."

"She was very uneasy," Bowman said, and the investigators all agreed "not to proceed."

"We told her to stay at her mother's house," Bowman said, "and if she were to go anywhere, to call us and let us know."

Johnson told police that Williams had been calling her, wanting to come to her house, Bowman said.

"She just wanted to do the deal and get it done," Bowman said.

Bowman said he talked to Johnson about the federal witness protection program, asking her to call 911 if anything happened.

Johnson, 29, had been working with the Lancaster County Drug Task Force, hoping to earn leniency on criminal charges that could have sent her to state prison, Bowman said.

The day, after their conversation, Bowman said he was told Johnson was dead.

Lancaster city police Officer Greg Berry testified that he was dispatched to a report of shots fired in the first block of Chester Street around 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 23, 2009.

When he arrived, Berry said, he found a woman lying on her back in the middle of the street.

Johnson told Berry her name and said she'd been shot in the back about four times.

"She was obviously in pain," Berry said. "She was sweating profusely and actually ashen in color. She didn't look very good."

"Did you ask her who shot her," Assistant District Attorney Todd E. Brown asked.

"Yes," Berry replied. "She continued to repeat, 'Squeeze.' "

Barry said Johnson also told him the defendant's full name.

Defense attorney Joseph C. Santaguida asked Berry what was Johnson's demeanor.

Johnson, Berry replied, seemed "scared."

Detective Nathan Nickel said Williams was stopped by police officers two hours later while the suspect was driving through the city.

A 9 mm handgun, found under the driver's seat of the car, Nickel said, was the weapon used to fire the four bullets removed from Johnson's body.

Williams told police he had been at a city tavern until 2 a.m. that day. Nickel, however, said the bartender told him Williams had left at 12:30 a.m., about an hour before the shooting.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Williams told friends that he just walked up to Johnson and shot her repeatedly.

But Nickel said Williams told him he only knew Johnson to say hello, couldn't remember ever talking to her on the phone and couldn't remember the last time he had contact with her.

Cell phone records, Nickel said, indicated that Johnson had called or attempted to call Williams three times between Jan. 22 and Jan. 23.

And Williams, Nickel testified, had called Johnson 10 times during that same period.

The last known call to Johnson's cell phone before she died, Nickel said, was from Williams' cell phone.

jkelley@lnpnews.com