In the summer of 2014, the life of 20-year-old Raheem Trevon Williams was tragically cut short by gunfire at a party in Waterview, Virginia. The young man, a resident of Gloucester, was attending a gathering in the small Middlesex County community on the evening of July 5th when violence erupted, leaving him fatally wounded. Another individual was also injured in the shooting but survived.
The investigation into Williams' death led authorities to four suspects. Andre L. Williams, then 21, of Newport News, and Stephan L. Ward, then 21, of Saluda, were taken into custody. Andre Williams faced charges of second-degree murder, malicious wounding, and two counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony. Ward was charged with second-degree murder and malicious wounding.
Two other men, KDarius K. Smith, 20, of Saluda, and Shaquele L. Taylor, 20, of Newport News, were also implicated in the crime. Both Smith and Taylor were charged with accessory after the fact to murder.
Following their arrests, the four men faced legal proceedings in Middlesex County. In January 2015, Andre L. Williams pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and unlawful wounding. He received a 15-year sentence with all but four years suspended. Stephan L. Ward entered an Alford plea to misdemeanor reckless handling of a firearm, resulting in a 12-month sentence with six months suspended.
The legal process for the remaining two suspects saw KDarius K. Smith pleading guilty to misdemeanor obstruction of justice and receiving a 12-month jail sentence with all but one month suspended. In a separate trial in April 2015, Shaquele L. Taylor was found not guilty of being an accessory after the fact to homicide.
