In the early evening of July 21, 2020, tragedy struck in Norwich, Connecticut, shattering the summer calm. Anthony Williams, a 39-year-old Black / African American man, was shot and killed on Lake Street in what authorities would later describe as a targeted attack. The incident, which occurred around 4:30 p.m., left the community shaken and searching for answers as police descended upon the scene to begin their investigation into the city's latest homicide.
Within days, the Norwich
Police Department identified a suspect in the fatal shooting. An arrest warrant was issued on July 24 for 39-year-old Phillip Wise, a resident of Norwich with known connections to New Jersey and neighboring states. Investigators believed a red Hyundai with South Carolina license plates was connected to the crime and another scene on Club House Road in Lisbon. Wise, who was considered armed and dangerous, had fled the area immediately following the shooting, prompting an extensive manhunt.
The search for Phillip Wise involved the collaborative efforts of the Norwich Police and U.S. Marshals. For months, detectives pursued leads, tracking the fugitive's movements. Their persistence paid off in January 2021 when Wise was located and apprehended in North Carolina. After being held as a fugitive, he was extradited back to Connecticut on February 15. Wise was formally charged with the murder of Anthony Williams and held on a $1.5 million bond, bringing a significant development to a case that had gripped the community for months.
