William Lawrence Worry III, a 23-year-old male, tragically lost his life on February 14, 2019, in a shooting that took place in a mobile home in Greensboro, Pennsylvania. The incident was the culmination of a dispute with Anthony William King, then 21, over children's toys belonging to the mother of Worry's two children, who was also King's ex-girlfriend.
On the night of the shooting, Worry, known to his loved ones as 'Spank,' accompanied his ex-girlfriend and another friend to King's residence to retrieve the toys. After a telephone conversation between Worry and King, they arrived at the home. King allowed them inside to collect the belongings. As Worry was carrying a dollhouse out of the residence, King emerged from his bedroom brandishing a 12-gauge shotgun and fired a single shot, striking Worry in the face. William Lawrence Worry III died at the scene.
Anthony William King was arrested and charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault, and two counts of recklessly endangering another person. During the trial, the defense argued that King was 'broken' and portrayed Worry as abusive. A key piece of evidence presented was a cellphone video that captured the fatal shooting. Text messages from King, including one where he wrote, 'I killed him,' were also part of the court proceedings.
In May 2022, a Greene County jury acquitted King of first and third-degree murder but found him guilty of the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. He was also convicted of aggravated assault and two counts of reckless endangerment. In August 2022, King, then 24, was sentenced to a term in state prison. Having been incarcerated since the shooting, he became eligible for parole in early 2025. During the sentencing, members of Worry's family delivered emotional victim impact statements, expressing the profound and lasting pain his death has caused them.
