Witnesses link New Kensington man to 2020 murder of Arnold drug dealer

A New Kensington woman testified Tuesday that her former boyfriend confessed to his role in a fatal shooting of an Arnold drug dealer nearly five years ago.

Shawnti Lee told a Westmoreland County jury that Letresse Williams made a frantic call to her in the late afternoon of Jan. 15, 2020.

“He called me while I was on the way to work, he called me from a blocked number and he told me that he killed somebody. He told me to get the phone turned off and that he lost his phone,” Lee testified during the second day of Williams’ retrial.

Williams, 34, of New Kensington is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Anthone Williams, 33, of Arnold.

Williams’ body was found with three gunshot wounds in a vehicle parked along a secluded road near a vacant apartment complex in New Kensington. Letresse Williams and Anthone Williams are not related, according to authorities.

Prosecutors contend Letresse Williams was one of two men involved in a botched robbery.

Investigators found a cellphone linked to Letresse Williams wedged in the vehicle with the victim. Two guns, including one Lee said she had previously seen in Letresse Williams’ possession, were discovered hidden in woods near the shooting scene, police said.

Letresse Williams is the only person charged in connection with the fatal shooting. Prosecutors contend police linked him to the killing through DNA evidence found on the suspected murder weapon and on the SIM card of the cellphone found with the victim.

Lee spoke with police two times and, under questioning from defense attorney Jaclyn Shaw, confirmed she told detectives that Letresse Williams claimed Anthone Williams “pulled a gun on him.”

Prosecutors contend Letresse Williams, while in jail awaiting the murder charge, attempted through two letters written in 2023 and 2024 to have Lee recant her statement.

Letresse Williams was not charged for nearly a year and has been in jail awaiting trial since early 2021.

During the investigation, prosecutors contend, evidence surfaced that Williams just hours before the fatal shooting planned the robbery of Anthone Williams.

David Fleck testified Letresse Williams and another man came to his home during the early afternoon of Jan. 15 and asked that he call for Anthone Williams to come to his New Kensington home to sell him drugs.

“He wanted Anthone Williams to come to the house to rob him,” Fleck said, telling jurors that he was offered drugs and money to make the call. He testified that he rejected their request.

Forensic investigator Donald Scott Lucas testified cellphone records indicate a series of four calls between phones linked to Letresse Williams and Anthone Williams were made between 4:19 and 5:03 p.m. the day of the fatal shooting.

New Kensington Detective Matthew Saxman told jurors Letresse Williams, just weeks after the shooting, initially denied any involvement in the killing and had no connection to the suspected murder weapon.

Saxman testified Williams, in June 2024, admitted to once owning the semiautomatic gun police said was used in the shooting.

Jurors were not told that admission came during testimony Letresse Williams gave during his first murder trial last year that resulted in his being acquitted of first-degree murder. The jury was not able to render a verdict to the remaining charges that included second-degree murder, which is a killing that occurs during commission of another felony, robbery or conspiracy.

Prosecutors are expected to conclude their case against Williams when the retrial resumes Wednesday.