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Judge sentences Warren violent offender to life in prison instead of death penalty

By Trumbull County Prosecutor’s Office Mahoning Matters

Updated December 1, 2023 12:51 PM

A Trumbull County judge followed a jury’s wishes this week and sentenced a Warren man to a consecutive sentences of life without the possibility of parole.

Common Pleas Judge Ronald J. Rice sentenced Kashaun Williams, 30, to life without parole plus an indefinite term of 81 to 86 ½ years for the murder of James Chapman.

The jury found Williams guilty on Nov. 8 of two counts of aggravated murder, attempted murder, aggravated burglary, kidnapping felonious assault, assault on a peace officer and receiving stolen property.

The jurors deliberated for about three hours after hearing two days of testimony in the capital murder case.

The next week following a mitigation hearing, the same jurors deliberated again for about three hours and decided to save Williams from the death penalty, instead choosing to recommend to Judge Rice that he give the life without parole sentence.

At the sentencing hearing, Judge Rice told Williams “only you and God know why you went to Mr. Chapman’s house that fateful night.”

Judge Rice continued that had it not been for Chapman’s girlfriend, Martina Moore’s struggle for survival, “this case could have centered on the tragic loss of two lives.”

Testimony from trial

Chapman was killed on the early morning of April 2 at his home on Lener Avenue SW in Warren.

Testimony at the trial of Kashaun Williams showed Chapman was shot two times, with one bullet passing through the heart and another bullet severing the spinal cord. He died within minutes of the shooting on his front porch. Williams was also convicted of shooting and beating Moore and punching a female police officer as he was being arrested.

Williams, who has a violent criminal record including prior prison terms, was also found guilty of specifications of aggravating circumstances and firearm specifications.

Judge Rice also found Williams guilty of the felony of having weapons while under disability, a charge involving Williams using a gun while being a convicted felon.

The judge also tagged the defendant a repeat violent offender, noting the violent past of Williams which began with an assault conviction in juvenile court at age 9 and other violent offenses as a teen and young adult.

“It is the intention of this Court to make sure in this sentencing that you will never be able to disgorge your violence on anyone else in our society for as long as you live,” Judge Rice stated as he prepared to render his sentence.

Both the judge and First Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Becker praised the work of the Warren Police Department in this case.

Becker noted the swift response of the police officers undoubtedly saved lives and their quick apprehension of Williams “eliminated a dangerous criminal from the streets of Warren.”

Before the sentencing, the court heard a dynamic and emotional impact statement from Chapman’s mother, Lasoneya Link, who was in the Lener Avenue SW home at the time of the fatal shooting of her son.

“(That day) the devil came to the door… to kill my son for no reason,” Lynk said. “I have no mercy for him (Williams) and … at the end of the day, it was not meant for him to have the death penalty. It was meant for him to die slow and think about what he did to my child.”

During his statement to the judge, Williams meanwhile remained defiant, maintaining he did not shoot anybody that night, the same story he told on the stand during trial.

“This defendant is an absolute menace. He’s a psychopath, and he deserves to die in prison… and without a doubt, that’s going to happen with this sentence today,” Becker said.

Assistant Prosecutor Gabriel Wildman said he is also pleased that “justice was done.” Wildman also assisted on trial prosecutions this year of murderers Gavin Roberts and Ronique Requel.

“I am glad all of these violent offenders are off the streets,” Wildman said.