Man charged with murder of 3-y-o had a history of mental illness and assault
PAGEE, St Mary — Devon Williams, the 33-year-old labourer from Pagee who has been charged with the murder of three-year-old Asher Campbell and wounding six other persons on May 29, has reportedly had previous legal troubles with similar offences in the United States since 2018.
Williams was first diagnosed with a mental illness in 2017 after being admitted to the hospital with a stab wound to the head. Scans confirmed he was missing brain material.
According to a psychologist who testified in his 2019 case, Dr Andrew Bourke, Williams became delusional, believing he was a prophet and that God spoke directly to him. Dr Bourke stated that Williams was also diagnosed with a cannabis use disorder and schizophrenia, which resulted in hallucinations, delusions, and false beliefs. Although he was hospitalised and received medication, Williams reportedly stopped taking it.
In 2017, Williams was found not guilty of assaulting another inmate at the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow. He had reportedly become delusional, believing the inmate was part of the Mexican cartel sent to jail to harm him. The judge ordered Williams to be sent to the Bridgewater State Hospital for a month.
Williams’ family is said to have reached out to the Springfield District Court in September 2018 and obtained a judge’s order for him to receive a psychiatric evaluation. His mother was concerned that her son would hurt someone if not hospitalised.
Williams had left Hampden Springfield, Massachusetts, and moved to Brooklyn, New York, before reportedly attacking four persons on September 9, 2018.
Dr Bourke testified that Williams’ mother had contacted the crisis team of the state Department of Mental Health when Williams’ symptoms increased to a frightening level.
“They had done the best she could to get her son emergency interventions,” Dr Bourke told the court. The psychologist stated that the family saw the storm approaching.
Assistant District Attorney James Forsythe agreed that Williams’ mother had done her best to get her son emergency interventions.
The storm that the family saw on the horizon came when Williams attacked a 55-year-old man at a casino in Springfield. He was charged with armed assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (shod foot), causing serious bodily injury, and assault. He also randomly assaulted four men, three of whom were in Springfield on September 9, 2018.
The psychiatrist testified that Williams was paranoid and believed he had a divine purpose to save individuals from a sex trafficking ring. He attacked random people based on what he thought he saw on their faces. “Williams thought he was running around the city saving people.”
On Thursday, June 6, following an ID parade, Williams was charged with murder, three counts of wounding with intent, and six counts of wounding.
READ: Man charged with killing 3-y-o
— Ingrid Henry
