New Kensington man's murder retrial ends after 2nd jury unable to reach a verdict

Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli on Thursday said her office will seek a third trial for a New Kensington man charged in connection with the 2020 fatal shooting of an Arnold drug dealer.

After 10 hours of deliberations over two days, jurors failed to reach a verdict for charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, robbery and a weapons offense, resulting in a second mistrial in the case against Letresse Williams.

Prosecutors claim Letresse Williams, 34, fired two of three shots that killed 33-year-old Anthone Williams nearly five years ago in a parked car outside of a vacant apartment complex in New Kensington. Letresse Williams and Anthone Williams were not related, prosecutors said.

During three days of testimony this week, prosecutors said Letresse Williams and an unidentified accomplice killed the victim during a robbery, a crime that carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole.

“We appreciate the jury’s time and consideration in hearing evidence and arguments this week. We are disappointed there was not a resolution reached, as we believe we presented a strong case. It is the duty of this office to seek justice for our victims and their families, and the commonwealth is prepared to proceed and will retry Mr. Williams,” Ziccarelli said in an emailed statement.

The prosecution has now presented its case against Letresse Williams to two juries.

Letresse Williams’ first trial, in June 2024, also ended in a mistrial when, after more than 14 hours of deliberations, jurors were unable to reach verdicts on four of the five counts. He was acquitted of first-degree murder.

Letresse Williams’ second trial ended in similar fashion. Jurors deliberated for six hours on Wednesday night and returned for another four hours of talks on Thursday until they sent a note to the judge that there was one holdout that prevented them from reaching a unanimous verdict. The jury foreman, who asked that his name be withheld, confirmed in a brief interview Thursday afternoon that 11 of the 12 jurors favored a conviction.

Defense attorney Jaclyn Shaw said Letresse Williams continues to maintain his innocence.

“We are grateful for the jury’s diligence and persistence,” Shaw said. “If the commonwealth decides to proceed with a third trial, we will be prepared. My client is adamant he is innocent of the allegations.”

Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Scott Mears, who presided over both trials, tentatively scheduled Letresse Williams’ third trial to begin in October.

Prosecutors presented evidence that hours before the fatal shooting, Letresse Williams set in motion the robbery plan, and that his DNA was found on the suspected murder weapon discarded yards away from the shooting and on a cellphone discovered in the car with Anthone Williams’ body.

Letresse Williams’ former girlfriend testified that shortly after the murder, he confessed to her in a telephone call that he killed a man during a botched robbery.

Letresse Williams denied the allegations during his testimony this week. He conceded he at one time owned the suspected murder weapon but sold it weeks before the shooting. He also claimed he gave his cellphone to another man, who he suggested was responsible for the shooting.

Letresse Williams, who will remain in custody without bond, also during his testimony admitted to firing the same gun in a Dec. 1, 2019, shooting at a parked vehicle in New Kensington.

Prosecutors have charged Letresse Williams with four counts of attempted homicide in connection with that case, which is still pending.