2021 Milwaukee homicide, man now charged after witness comes forward
The Brief
A man is now charged with reckless homicide for a 2021 fatal shooting.
According to court filings, key evidence did not come until three years later.
The court pointed to the man's lengthy criminal history when setting bail.
MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee man is now charged with reckless homicide for a shooting that killed a 15-year-old back in 2021.
In Court
Court records show 29-year-old Shavar Williams is charged with first-degree reckless homicide, among other crimes. He appeared in court on those charges for the first time on Friday, but it's far from his first run-in with the law.
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According to court filings, the key evidence that led prosecutors to charge Williams now did not come until three years after the fatal shooting.
The backstory
The victim's body was found slumped over against a fence in an alley near 21st and Meinecke. He had been shot and died at the scene.
That was on Aug. 23, 2021. It wasn't until this past summer, when investigators said a witness came forward with key evidence, that prosecutors connected the crime to Williams.
What they're saying
Court filings said the witness told detectives he saw the 15-year-old and Williams exchanging gunfire on the night of the shooting. He said when the victim's gun jammed, Williams fired a shot back that killed the 15-year-old boy.
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After that interview, forensic experts linked Williams' DNA to a hat that was found near the victim's body.
Dig deeper
In court on Friday, a commissioner sided with the state and set Williams' bail at $250,000 – pointing to Williams' lengthy history of serious crimes. That included a juvenile case of felony murder in 2012, which was adjudicated.
The Source
Information in this report is from the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.
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