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Georgetown double homicide suspect a no-show in court, has previous record
Court documents say the suspect stabbed one of his victims 60 times and the other 100 times.
SEATTLE - Prosecutors have filed charges against a man accused of brutally stabbing two people to death inside a Georgetown apartment.
On Wednesday, King County Prosecutors charged John Marcel Williams with two counts of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon. An attorney told the judge that the victims, a 53-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman, were found with over 60 stab wounds and over 100 stab wounds, respectively.
Seattle Police arrived at an apartment in the 6100 block of Fourth Avenue South around 4:15 p.m. on Sunday. Once they arrived, they found the two victims.
Shortly after police found the victims, they received a 911 call of a man walking along S. Michigan Street on the sidewalk with cuts on his hands – he was also covered in blood.
Court documents obtained by FOX 13 indicate that surveillance video shows the 55-year-old woman walking into an apartment with Williams. Later, that same video shows him exiting the home with blood on his hands.
Williams, according to police, identified himself as the man in the video – but didn't admit to the murders.
"Williams was confronted with the fact that he was depicted on video entering the apartment with (female victim) and then exiting with blood hands," the court documents read. "Williams could not provide an explanation for this and maintained that he had no recollection of entering (the female victim's) apartment."
Looking at surveillance video, police determined that Williams allegedly killed the two victims in just six minutes. He was released from prison just two days before the double homicide, court documents say.
REFUSAL TO GO BEFORE A JUDGE
Attorneys told the judge on Tuesday that Williams refused to appear in court.
Suspects are allowed to refuse to appear in court, but their defense attorney still appears before the judge. In this case, the attorney said they would save comments in regards to Williams' defense for a later date.
According to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, prosecutors will likely be referred documents for a felony charging decision by Seattle investigators on Wednesday – a bail hearing will be held that same day.
SUSPECTS' LONG CRIMINAL HISTORY
Williams has a long criminal history, including at least 65 arrests in California.
His criminal history in Washington state includes four arrests in 2022 – though, prosecutors have had a hard time keeping him behind bars.
In July, Williams was arrested after police received a 911 call after a witness spotted him slapping, pushing and threatening to shoot a woman. It was later learned that she had returned with Williams to Second Chance – a tiny home village located in Seattle – before he attempted to remove her clothes, and hit her with a belt.
King County prosecutors argued that there was probable cause for a rape and felony harassment charge. They asked for a $150,000 bond – which was eventually set at $75,000.
Seattle Police, however, didn't file documents that would allow the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office to file felony charges. After 72 hours, Williams walked.
Seattle Police tell FOX 13 that the investigation is ongoing.
Casey McNerthney, a spokesperson for the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, said it's unclear if a judge would have kept Williams behind bars – adding: they didn't refuse to charge Williams.
"For people who see this and ask, ‘How did this guy get out when he was arrested for attempted rape?' The answer is it's still being investigated," said McNerthney. "We didn't decline to press charges, we'll act on them immediately when we get them, it's just an open investigation with police."
Williams was arrested again in September for a brawl outside of a business. According to an incident report from Seattle Police, he punched multiple people and told one victim: "I'm going to kill you."
Prosecutors argued probable cause for felony harassment and got Williams held on a $20,000 bond. That case was eventually sent to the Seattle City Attorney's Office, which turned into misdemeanor charges.
A judge ultimately sentenced Williams to 56 days in jail with credit for time served. He was released two days before two people turned up dead in Georgetown.