In the early morning hours of June 26, 2016, a birthday celebration at a house on Erie Street in Adrian, Michigan, turned tragic, leading to the death of 32-year-old William Clayton Coleman Jr. An argument that began earlier in the night at a downtown bar reportedly reignited at the party, escalating to a fatal confrontation. Coleman was shot in the chest and torso and was rushed to ProMedica Bixby Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on June 27, 2016.
The conflict allegedly involved Sim Ervin King, then 21 years old, who had been in a dispute with Coleman. This argument, which started at Mandy's Bar, continued at the Erie Street residence where the birthday party was being held. During this subsequent altercation, King is accused of shooting not only Coleman but also another man, ToVonté Dabney. Dabney was critically injured in the shooting but survived.
Following the incident, law enforcement quickly identified King as a person of interest. He was arrested the night after the shooting. King, from Inkster, Michigan, was subsequently charged with open murder for the death of William Clayton Coleman Jr., as well as assault with intent to murder in connection with the shooting of ToVonté Dabney, and additional weapons offenses.
Appearing for his arraignment in Lenawee County District Court via video, King pleaded not guilty to the charge of open murder. During a preliminary examination, the surviving victim, Dabney, testified that King was the one who shot Coleman during their argument. King was held without bond as the case proceeded through the legal system, with witnesses and the surviving victim providing crucial testimony about the events that transpired on that fatal morning.
