Scranton teens held for court in fatal stabbing

Sep. 24—SCRANTON — The case against three city juveniles charged as adults in the fatal stabbing of an 18-year-old man will move on to Lackawanna County Court for possible trial.

After a two-hour preliminary hearing Friday at which prosecutors showed surveillance video footage of the deadly altercation, Magisterial District Judge Sean McGraw ruled there was sufficient evidence to bind over all charges against Amir Williams, 16, Nahsyeis Williams, 16, and Sheldon Datilus, 17, in the killing of Tyler McKenna.

McKenna died June 22 at Geisinger Community Medical Center after he was stabbed during what investigators say was a gang-related fight at 3 W. Olive St.

Amir Williams, of 528 Wheeler Ave., who is accused of wielding a knife and stabbing McKenna during the confrontation, faces criminal homicide, conspiracy and other charges.

Police charged Datilus, of 410 Harrison Ave., and Nahsyeis Williams, of 227 Stephen Ave., with aggravated assault as an accomplice, conspiracy and related offenses for their roles.

City juvenile investigator Kevin Uher, who was the principal prosecution witness, testified about the police response to the stabbing, which happened about 3:23 p.m. on the north side of the Ice Box complex.

The surveillance video, which was less than a minute long and played on a screen in the courtroom, showed a confrontation breaking out as two groups of youths came together near the entrance to Geisinger Orthopedics.

The actual altercation lasted only 20 to 25 seconds before the participants scattered.

Under questioning by Deputy District Attorney Drew Krowiak, Uher identified the defendants and testified the footage showed Datilus engaged in a fistfight with McKenna before Amir Williams approached with a knife and stabbed the victim from behind.

After Nahsyeis Williams joined in, punching McKenna, Amir Williams again stabbed the victim, who suffered a total of seven wounds, the officer said. Police recovered a knife blade with blood on it at the scene.

Law enforcement officials have said the stabbing grew out of a gang dispute.

Under cross-examination by attorney James Mulligan, who represents Nahsyeis Williams, Uher acknowledged McKenna and two other individuals whom police have not yet positively identified were involved in two assaults nearby shortly before the stabbing.

The officer also identified McKenna as the owner of a machete that was recovered by police.

The only other witness was county Coroner Tim Rowland, who testified he ruled McKenna's death a homicide after an autopsy.

Both attorney Patrick Rogan, who represents Datilus, and attorney Dan Hunter, who represents Amir Williams, questioned whether the video footage actually showed what prosecutors and police alleged it showed.

Rogan challenged Uher to show him where on the video Datilus holds McKenna while Nahsyeis Williams punches the victim, as police maintained in the arrest affidavit. He also argued his client was so focused on his fight with McKenna that he would not have seen Amir Williams had a knife.

Hunter argued it is unclear in the video if Amir Williams even had a weapon.

Both attorneys urged McGraw to review the video in detail before deciding what if any charges against their clients should be bound over for further court action.

"The video speaks for itself," Rogan told McGraw.

Mulligan characterized the altercation as a "spontaneous" fight and said there was no evidence Nahsyeis Williams intended to cause McKenna serious bodily injury. He suggested that McGraw throw out all charges against his client.

"At best, this might be simple assault," he said.

All three teens remain in the county jail. Amir Williams is held without bail, while his codefendants are jailed on $500,000 bail each.

Contact the writer: dsingleton@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9132