In the late hours of an October night in 2004, a workplace dispute at Peerless Metal Co. in Detroit escalated to a fatal conclusion. Anthony Williams, a 40-year-old employee, was killed by a coworker in an act of shocking violence that left him nearly decapitated. The incident, which occurred shortly before 11:50 p.m. on Wednesday, October 27, 2004, stunned onlookers and left a scene of grim finality on the shop floor.
The altercation reportedly stemmed from months of alleged bullying.
On that fateful evening, the 30-year-old suspect and Williams had another argument. Following the dispute, the suspect left the plant and went to a nearby party store where he purchased cigarettes and a beer before returning. He then confronted Williams, reportedly offering his coworker a piece of metal in what he later described to police as a 'valiant and honorable challenge.' The situation then took a terrifying turn as the suspect retrieved a 38-inch samurai sword from his car and chased Williams through the plant.
In front of other employees, the man attacked Williams with the sword, inflicting the fatal injuries. When police arrived at the plant, located in the 6300 block of West Fort at Livernois, they discovered Williams' body. The suspect was found calmly sitting in a chair about 20 feet away, smoking a cigarette and drinking a beer, his clothes splattered with blood. He was the only other person in that area of the building and was promptly arrested.
The suspect was charged in the death of Anthony Williams. In court, his defense attorneys argued that he was not criminally responsible for his actions, stating that he is schizophrenic and has a dangerous obsession with fantasy role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. They contended that he was acting out a fantasy when he killed his coworker. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
