In the early hours of a cold Sunday morning, the sounds of gunfire shattered the quiet of an Elmira neighborhood. On February 7, 2021, police responded to the area of West Sixth Street and Johnson Street around 1:13 A.M. to find a grim scene. Two men had been shot outside a residence. One of them, 39-year-old Bashawn Eman Williams, a Black male, was found unresponsive. He was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, his life tragically cut short.
The second victim, who also sustained serious injuries, survived the violent encounter.
The investigation into the shooting death of Bashawn Williams quickly identified a suspect, Edward Baugh. However, Baugh had fled the area, prompting a multi-agency search. The U.S. Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force joined the hunt, tracking the fugitive to Hampton, Virginia. With the assistance of the Hampton Police Department, Baugh was apprehended, bringing the initial phase of the investigation to a close and starting the long road to justice.
Following his capture, Edward Baugh was extradited back to New York to face the consequences of his actions. He was initially charged with second-degree murder for his role in Williams' death. The legal proceedings culminated in a plea agreement. Baugh pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of first-degree manslaughter, a Class B felony. On January 6, 2023, a judge sentenced him to ten years in state prison, to be followed by five years of post-release supervision. The sentencing marked the final chapter in the legal case, providing a measure of closure for the family and community mourning the loss of Bashawn Williams.
