CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Despite maintaining his innocence in a 2016 Kanawha County murder, Antonio Williams was sentenced to life in prison with mercy on Wednesday.
Kanawha County Circuit Judge Charles King sentenced Williams, 27, to consecutive sentences of first-degree murder, malicious wounding and wanton endangerment in the shooting death of Shannon Cade in Charleston on New Year’s Day 2016.
Williams was convicted of those crimes in March.
“I am sorry for what happened,” Williams said. “I knew the family, I knew the brother. I didn’t do anything. That’s the honest to God truth. I did not do anything, I was back there wrong place at the wrong time. I did not do this.”
Police said during the trial that Williams was looking for another man inside Cade’s home on the 800 block of Mathews Avenue when he fired shots inside, fatally striking Cade and hitting a 14-year-old who was injured.
Kimberly Cade, the mother of the 20-year old victim, spoke before the courtroom on Wednesday and said that day changed her life.
“My son was killed from gunfire,” she said. “Another child was hit, my daughter was grazed, people were running for their lives. It was the scariest thing I have ever went through in my life. Now I have lost a piece of me, my child.”
Then Cade had direct words for Williams.
“I can never get him back but at least you still have your life. My baby don’t. He didn’t have anything to do with you, Jalen, none of that stuff. Nothing,” she said.
“You did this to my baby and all I wanted was you to say I’m sorry for doing it but you won’t. You will not do that. Until then, I don’t believe you are sorry for it. I’m sorry but I can’t.”
The sentences that will run consecutively include life with mercy with eligibility for parole after 15 years, 2-10 years for malicious wounding and 5 years for wanton endangerment. He will be given credit for time spent in jail which totals 1,247 days.
Williams’ counsel asked King for a new trial before the sentencing, citing evidence, before the sentencing but was denied by the judge.
While he spoke to King on Wednesday, Williams asked for a new counsel saying he “did not have a very effective counsel on his behalf.”
Williams said he would have testified during the trial if he knew the jury was going to convict him.
King said he will consider granting a new counsel and Williams said he is going to appeal the sentence.