PHILADELPHIA (February 20, 2024) – Following a one-day trial, Latif Williams on Tuesday was convicted of the 2021 murder of Temple University student Samuel Collington near campus.
The Hon. J. Scott O’Keefe on Tuesday found Williams (DOB: 11/12/2004) guilty of Third Degree Murder, Possession of an Instrument of Crime, and illegal possession of a firearm (VUFA 6106, 6108, 6110.1).
District Attorney Larry Krasner thanked Philadelphia Police Department personnel and prosecutors who investigated Collington’s murder, which shocked and terrorized the campus community and surrounding neighborhoods.
“The District Attorney’s Office is grateful for the conviction of Latif Williams for this outrageous crime, which not only deeply impacted Mr. Collington’s family and loved ones but affected the entire Temple University community. I again extend my deepest condolences for the terrible loss of a promising young man,” DA Krasner said. “Thank you to Homicide/Non-Fatal Shootings Unit Supervisor ADA Joanne Pescatore, who prosecuted this case. This conviction is also the work product of the experienced professionals of the PPD, who include Homicide Detectives Joe Murray, Orlando Ortiz, Chris Sweeney, Jim Sloan, and Vince Parker; as well as numerous Crime Scene Unit personnel, DAO victim/witness coordinators, and support staff.”
Williams is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge O’Keefe on May 1, 2024. He will also be tried for a separate carjacking of an elderly man, also in 2021, that day before the same judge.
CONTACT:
Jane Roh, 215-686-8711, [email protected]
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The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office is the largest prosecutor’s office in Pennsylvania, and one of the largest in the nation. It serves the more than 1.5 million residents of the City and County of Philadelphia, employing 600 lawyers, detectives, and support staff. The District Attorney’s Office is responsible for the prosecution of approximately 40,000 criminal cases annually. Learn more about the DAO by visiting PhillyDA.org.