Alabama Man Found Guilty Of Repo Agent Murder

A Madison County jury has found Warren Siao guilty of murder in the 2023 shooting death of repossession company owner Jayson Click, bringing an end to a closely watched trial that has drawn national attention from the repossession and towing industries.

Jurors returned the guilty verdict Wednesday afternoon after deliberating following closing arguments in the three-day trial. Siao was accused of shooting and killing Click during a repossession attempt outside his Madison County home in December 2023.

Click, owner and operator of Ace Towing LLC, was attempting to repossess Siao’s white Audi when prosecutors said Siao opened fire with a rifle, striking him four times. Investigators testified during trial that Siao fired a total of 16 rounds.

Throughout the trial, prosecutors argued the repossession was lawful and that the tow operators made attempts to contact Siao before beginning the recovery. Jurors were shown Ring doorbell footage of a tow truck driver approaching the home and ringing the doorbell twice before the repossession started.

The defense argued Siao believed burglars were stealing his vehicle from the garage during the nighttime repossession. In recorded police interrogation footage played for jurors, Siao told investigators he thought intruders had entered his property and claimed he fired “warning shots” toward the street.

Siao also stated during questioning that he was not wearing his glasses at the time and believed he had only fired five or six rounds. Prosecutors countered those statements with ballistic evidence and testimony showing significantly more shots were fired.

Jurors also watched body camera footage from responding deputies. In one clip shown during the trial, Siao can be heard telling deputies, “I shot the burglars that went in my house and got my car.”

Testimony throughout the week came from Click’s wife, Ann Click, tow truck driver Bill Irwin, Siao’s ex-wife Katina Birtchfield, responding deputies, detectives, digital forensic investigators, and a state medical examiner.

Dr. Jonrika Malone with the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences testified that Click died from multiple gunshot wounds and described the injuries as unsurvivable.

A Madison County Sheriff’s Office investigator also testified about license plate reader technology used by towing companies, which captured an image of the Audi inside the garage shortly before the shooting occurred.

The case became one of the most talked-about criminal trials in the repossession industry due to the ongoing dangers agents face during vehicle recoveries, particularly at occupied residences and during nighttime assignments.

Before trial, Siao’s attorneys attempted to have the case dismissed under Alabama’s Stand Your Ground law, arguing he believed he was defending his property from intruders. A judge denied that request and allowed the case to proceed to trial.

Siao now faces sentencing at a later date and could spend decades in prison under Alabama murder statutes.