In the late summer of 2017, the life of 18-year-old Lenell Dywane Williams, a recent graduate of Elkhart Central High School, was tragically cut short. On the morning of August 27th, Williams was discovered in the 300 block of State Street in Elkhart, Indiana, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Another young man was also seriously injured in the incident.
The Elkhart County Homicide Unit launched an investigation into what was determined to be a shooting stemming from a
drug-related robbery. The investigation progressed with assistance from the community, leading to a significant break in the case. On September 20, 2017, the Elkhart County Prosecutor announced that an arrest had been made in connection with Williams' murder.
Nineteen-year-old Santori Dorsey of South Bend was taken into custody in Indianapolis and charged with the felony murder of Lenell Williams. Prosecutors stated that Dorsey allegedly killed Williams during the course of a drug robbery. In November 2018, Santori Dorsey, then 20, was sentenced for his role in the fatal shooting. He received a sentence of 87-and-a-half years for murder and planning to commit robbery resulting in serious injury. Following the sentencing, Dorsey indicated his intent to appeal the decision.
