Eddie Williams has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 2014 murder of Marcus Ortiz in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. The sentencing, delivered by President Judge John C. Tylwalk Jr. on Tuesday (August 13), follows a retrial where Williams was found guilty of first-degree murder and other charges.
The case dates back to March 10, 2014, when Ortiz was shot execution-style during a home invasion at an apartment on Fox Chase Lane in South Lebanon Township. Keith Crawford, another victim in the incident, survived a gunshot wound to the brain. According to prosecutors, Williams, along with his girlfriend Akeita Harden and cousin Rick Cannon, plotted to rob Crawford, a local drug dealer and friend.
Following the shooting, the defendants fled the scene, leading police on a high-speed chase through South Lebanon Township, Myerstown, and Lebanon city. Williams was arrested months later in Philadelphia. During the retrial, the prosecution presented evidence, including testimony from Crawford, who identified Williams as the shooter. Despite his injuries, Crawford testified using a computer to communicate.
The retrial was necessary after a federal court overturned Williams' initial conviction due to erroneous jury instructions. The Lebanon County District Attorney, Pier Hess Graf, expressed gratitude for the jury's verdict, stating, "I remain thankful the Defendant is sentenced to die in prison – this world is a better and safer place without him exposed to our community" as reported by Yahoo News.
Williams' defense argued inconsistencies in witness testimonies and evidence, but the jury upheld the conviction. Graf highlighted the challenges of the retrial, noting the difficulty in locating witnesses and the passage of time since the original trial.
Williams' co-defendants, Cannon and Harden, were previously convicted and sentenced. Cannon pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and other charges, receiving a 50 to 100-year sentence. Harden was found guilty of second-degree murder and received additional sentences for her involvement in the high-speed chase.