A process that began in the early morning hours of January 1, 2007, came to a close Thursday afternoon in a Denver courtroom.

After a jury deliberated over a span of three days, Willie D. Clark was found guilty on all counts, including the first-degree murder of former Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams.

"Nothing can ever bring Darrent Williams back or ease the suffering for (his mother) Rosalind and her grandchildren," President and CEO Pat Bowlen said in a statement. "But after three long years, it is very gratifying to see closure brought to this case. This process has been extremely difficult for the Williams family, his friends and teammates, this community, and the entire Denver Broncos organization.

"I would like to praise the long and hard work of the Denver Police Department and the Denver District Attorney's Office," he continued. "I also want to thank the Denver community for the overwhelming support that both the Williams family and the Broncos have received during this unimaginable tragedy.

"Darrent's legacy will live on for all of us in the Broncos organization, and the outstanding work done each day at the Darrent Williams Memorial Teen Center is a tribute to his impact on this community. Our hearts continue to go out to the entire Williams family."

Williams was 24 years old when he was shot and killed near downtown Denver mere hours after the Broncos' 2006 season came to an end.

Though his life was cut tragically short, as Bowlen alluded, his memory lives on in Denver through the Darrent Williams Memorial Teen Center, which opened its doors in Montbello in May of 2008. A sculpture of the 5-foot-8 cornerback stands outside, seemingly watching over the center, a place that provides a safe haven for many children in the community.

"This is going to bring some positivity to this community and this city of Denver," Champ Bailey said at the time. "And what better way (to remember Williams) than to put his name on it and have people remember that tragic things happen, but at the same time we can have something positive for these kids to come to and steer them away from that. It's a good feeling."

Source: DenverBroncos.com