Gang ties, premeditation and “extreme indifference” are alleged in indictment of Willie Clark in the 2007 death shooting of Denver Bronco cornerback Darrent Williams.
A Denver grand jury handed up a 39-count indictment against Clark, 25, who already is in federal custody in Englewood on drug charges.
Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey said at a press conference that more people could be charged, but he would say how soon. He has not yet decided whether he will seek the death penalty.
Williams, 24, was shot in the neck and died in the arms of teammate of Javon Walker, who has since left the team.
The former Oklahoma State standout had just completed his second season with the Broncos. The team had played its final game of the season only hours before.
Williams’ best friend on the team, Domonique Foxworth, now playing in Atlanta, said he had faith the guilty would be punished by God, but the announcement did not bring him peace.
“They have to live with that. They will have to live with the God they pray to,” he said of the killers. “I understood that finding him and (indicting) him would be a big deal to people. But for me it doesn’t really bring any joy or closure or anything like that.”
Another former Bronco defensive back, John Lynch, reflected on a recent fund-raiser for the Darrent Williams Teen Center in Denver.
“It was a wonderful night, but one of the things we all talked about was it would be nice to find resolution to this whole thing,” said Lynch, who was co-chairman of the event. “Hopefully for (Williams’ mother) Rosalind and all her family and his family that this helps brings closure. I think for everyone, it helps bring closure. From that standpoint, I couldn’t be happier.”
The grand jury found that a fight started in The Safari nightclub at 10th Avenue and Broadway after a New Year’s Eve party. The fight continued in the parking lot about 2:15 a.m.
When the limousine carrying Williams and 15 others left, a white Chevrolet Tahoe pulled alongside it on Speer Boulevard and 11th Avenue. The SUV opened fire.
Williams and two others were hit. Williams died almost instantly. Brandon Flowers and Nicole Reindl survived the shooting.
Morrissey stopped short of calling Clark the trigger man at the press conference at the Denver Police Administration building, instead repeating that Clark is believed to be a “principal.”
“Willie Clark was in the SUV; numerous people were in the SUV,” Morrissey said, adding later, “Obviously there was more than one shooter.”
The SUV used in the drive-by shooting belonged to Brian Kenneth Hicks, who police have said is the leader of the Elite Eight, a sect of the Denver Tre Tre Crips gang.
Hicks was in custody on an unrelated case in the Denver County Jail at the time of the shooting.
Officials would not discuss any other other suspects Wednesday.
“This is not the end of the investigation,” Morrissey said.
Morrissey and law enforcement officers said the investigation had been difficult as they tried to pierce the secrecy, or at other times imisleading information, provided by criminals and those who associate with them.
Morrissey urged people to come forward with information.
David Fisher, the police department’s chief of investigations, said he would recommend the $102,000 reward for an arrest in the case be provided to no one.
“This case was solved by law enforcement and the Denver District Attorney’s office working together,” he said.
Clark, whose aliases include “Little Let Loose,” “Lil’ Let” and “Lil’ Willie,” faces life in prison, if convicted.
He is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, sixteen counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree assault, illegal discharge of a firearm , sixteen crime of violence counts (sentence enhancer), and two counts of possession of a weapon by a previous offender.
Daniel “Pony Tail” Harris and Clark were indicted in April on unrelated federal crack-cocaine conspiracy charges in what prosecutors said was the state’s largest gang takedown.
Sports writer Mike Klis contributed to this story.
Joey Bunch: 303-954-1174 or jbunch@denverpost.com
