'Senseless situation': Homeless Akron man sentenced for killing another homeless man
A homeless Akron man pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter Friday in the stabbing death of another homeless man in March 2021.
Willie James, 44, was scheduled to go on trial on murder charges Monday in Summit County Common Pleas Court.
Instead, James accepted an agreement with prosecutors in which he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony, and tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony. Prosecutors agreed to drop other charges against him.
Judge Alison McCarty sentenced James to 14 to 19½ years in prison, the penalty agreed upon by attorneys.
James stabbed Ronald Slack, 38, of Akron in the neck on March 27, 2021, near the Haven of Rest Ministries on East Market Street in downtown Akron. Slack died the next day at Summa Akron City Hospital.
Prosecutors said the two men had an ongoing feud.
Keisha Johnson, Slack’s cousin, told James during the sentencing that she didn’t hate him and would pray for him. Johnson asked James why he killed Slack and James told her he couldn’t answer that question.
James and Slack each had mental health and substance-abuse issues. They were both living at Haven of Rest, a homeless shelter in Akron.
“This was a sad and senseless situation fueled by mental illness and addiction,” said Jeff Laybourne, James’ attorney.
Laybourne said he was pleased by the reduction in charges and the “thoughtful consideration” of prosecutors and McCarty.
James was evaluated and found competent to stand trial, according to court records.
Slayings of two homeless men raise concerns
Slack was one of two homeless men killed in a two-month period in 2021.
Randall Proctor, 58, was shot and killed in May 2021 while sitting on a park bench in Grace Park.
Police say Hakim Mitcham, 26, confessed to shooting Proctor. He is charged with aggravated murder, murder and several other offenses.
The court has ordered a second mental evaluation of Mitcham.
The two men’s slayings raised concerns among those who serve Akron’s homeless population.
Grace Park slaying: Man shot sitting on park bench at Grace Park in Akron over weekend
Nick Cacioppo, the spokesman for Serve The People Akron, told the Beacon Journal in May 2021 that homeless people are often victims of violence and are vulnerable because of their lack of resources. His grassroots group helps homeless people at Grace Park and elsewhere with food and resources.
The Rev. Jeff Kaiser, chief executive of Haven of Rest, said the agency and its residents were “shaken and concerned” by the slayings.
“We know that having a place that is safe and clean can be hard to come by for a person experiencing homelessness, and that is why we are open every day to serve those in need,” Kaiser said.
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com, 330-996-3705 and on Twitter: @swarsmithabj.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Homeless Akron man gets prison for man's stabbing death
