On a spring evening in Virginia Beach, Virginia, the life of 43-year-old Antonio Bernard Cameron, a Black/African American male, was cut short. On May 13, 2016, Cameron was fatally shot in a neighborhood off Newtown Road, suffering a gunshot wound to his torso. He was rushed to a hospital but ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
The man identified as the shooter was Leander Williams III, described as a longtime friend of Cameron.
Following the incident, Williams, then 42, was arrested and faced charges of second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. He was held at the Virginia Beach Correctional Center without bond. Williams maintained that the shooting was an act of self-defense that occurred during an argument.
The legal proceedings against Leander Williams III took a dramatic and unexpected turn due to a significant prosecutorial misstep. During the trial, the prosecutor requested additional time, a motion the judge denied. In a critical error of judgment, the chief deputy commonwealth's attorney advised the trial prosecutor to dismiss the charges, incorrectly believing they could be refiled at a later date.
However, the legal principle of double jeopardy prevents an individual from being tried for the same crime twice once a trial has commenced. Consequently, the dismissal of the charges meant that Leander Williams III could not be retried for the death of Antonio Bernard Cameron. This irreparable mistake led to Williams' release from custody. The commonwealth's attorney publicly acknowledged the error as inexcusable and subsequently terminated the employment of the chief deputy responsible for the erroneous legal advice. Despite the initial arrest and murder charge, no legal conviction was ever secured in connection with the death of Antonio Bernard Cameron.
