Probable Cause Found in Murder of Government’s Witness

A judge found probable cause Friday in the case against Dwayne Williams in connection to the 2011 shooting death of Ronald Deacon Smith.

On Nov. 14, 2011, police found a lifeless Smith, 27, with a gunshot wound to the head, in the 1100 block of 21st Street Northeast, charging documents say. A second man shot in the incident survived.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenn Kirschner argued that the evidence proved Williams was involved in Smith’s death. “It paints a pretty clear picture of Williams’ involvement in the death of a Government witness,” Kirschner said.

Smith was expected to testify against Williams’ best friend David Warren, charging documents say. Warren was later convicted of murder for killing Ervin Lamont Griffin.

Detective Thomas Braxton testified Friday that ballistics evidence showed there were two shooters at the scene of Smith’s murder.

Kirschner argued that one of those two shooters was Williams and that he admitted to hiding a gun that was stashed in his home, where Warren was arrested and had been living.

Defense waived their right to argue on behalf of Williams.

When the police asked you, ‘Did you know how many times you fired the gun,’ you said ‘No,’ Reid said before her ruling, “I take that as admission of involvement.”

Williams is scheduled for a felony status conference on Dec. 19 at 9:45 a.m. before Judge Winston.

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