NORFOLK, Va.—A Virginia man who fatally shot a bystander while arguing with his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend will serve only 10 years in prison for manslaughter under a plea deal.
The Virginian-Pilot reported Thursday, March 14, that 41-year-old Nathaniel Lamarr Williams entered an Alford Plea—asserting his innocence but acknowledging there’s evidence to find him guilt—in his 2017 shooting of 25-year-old Aaron Reynolds Charles. Prosecutors dropped a murder charge and agreed to limit the sentence.
Virginia man who fatally shot a bystander while arguing with his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend sentenced to only 10 years in prison for manslaughter under plea deal. https://t.co/Vox9heIwzB pic.twitter.com/YqHAZ549yy
— Sean O’Reilly (@SeanWFTS) March 15, 2019
Williams’ ex-girlfriend, Elaina Johnson, told the court that Williams was visiting that August when her new boyfriend stopped by and the two men argued in front of her home.
She said that when Charles approached asking them to take their argument elsewhere, Williams shot Charles in the chest and then pistol-whipped the mortally wounded man.
Missouri Man Fatally Shoots Girlfriend, Her Children, Her Mother
A St. Louis-area man shot to death his girlfriend, her two young children, and her mother in the home they all shared, authorities said on Dec. 29. He exchanged gunfire with officers as he fled and was captured several hours later in a convenience store, covered in blood, and wounded.
Prosecutors filed 15 charges against Richard Darren Emery of St. Charles, Missouri, including first-degree murder, assault, and attempted robbery. Authorities said Emery, 46, abandoned his own pickup and tried unsuccessfully to steal a woman’s car while on the run, attacking her as well.
Emery remained in a local hospital with two gunshot wounds that authorities said did not appear self-inflicted and most likely came from the shootout with officers. St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney Tim Lohmar said investigators did not know the motive for the shootings as of Saturday evening.
“We may never know,” Lohmar said during a news conference. “This one, in particular, was the worst example of a domestic violence case. Anytime you have a domestic violence case you worry about the safety of the victim, and this would be your worst nightmare.”
Police have released a mug shot of Richard Darren Emery, charged with killing his girlfriend, her two children and her mother: https://t.co/GH5BVXGAx5
— St. Louis Post-Dispatch (@stltoday) December 30, 2018
Officials said police received a call just before midnight on Friday about a shooting at the house where Emery and the victims lived. Lohmar said officers later found three victims dead of gunshot wounds in one bedroom. They were Zoe Kasten, 8; her brother, Jonathan Kasten, 10; and their grandmother, Jane Moeckel, 61.
Officers found the fourth victim, a 39-year-old woman, in the home’s master bedroom, suffering from gunshot wounds but still alive, Lohmar said. She was taken to an area hospital, where she died.
Authorities did not name the fourth victim but described her as the children’s mother, the daughter of the older woman, and Emery’s girlfriend.
