In a striking twist to a murder case, Nathan Williams, who is facing charges for allegedly killing Bryant Johnson, asserts that he witnessed Johnson alive in a holding cell after the fatal incident on April 5, 2022.
Authorities allege that Williams fatally shot the 46-year-old Johnson at an apartment located at 2730 E. Bonanza Road. Williams, 50, is set to appear in court for his trial, which is scheduled to begin on Monday.
At a recent hearing, Williams insisted on testifying despite the advice of his sixth attorney, Michael Sanft. “I saw him with my own eyes and I’ve been asking for that video footage ever since then,” Williams stated, insisting that surveillance footage would support his claims.
Deputy District Attorney James Puccinelli presented a photo of Johnson to Williams, confirming that it depicted the deceased. In response to Puccinelli’s inquiry about the photograph being an autopsy image, Williams curtly replied, “Allegedly.” He further claimed that the prosecution had either withheld or “intentionally destroyed” evidence crucial to his defense.
However, Puccinelli refuted these accusations after the court session, clarifying that the prosecution had not destroyed evidence and did not have access to many of the records Williams claimed were missing. “All signs show that he was shot and killed on April 5th,” Puccinelli emphasized to the judge, suggesting that there was no dispute regarding the date of the death.
Sanft had filed a motion to dismiss the case, arguing that the lack of evidence preservation by authorities compromised Williams’ ability to defend himself. He also requested a jury instruction related to this matter. District Judge Carli Kierny rejected the motion, stating, “That information was not preserved in a purely administrative fashion.”
During the proceedings, Thomas Newsome, chief marshal for the Clark County District Court, testified that inmates are usually transported from jail to the Regional Justice Center through an underground tunnel equipped with surveillance cameras. The footage, however, is stored for only about 30 days before being overwritten.
Angela Taylor, the records custodian for the Metropolitan Police Department, testified that Johnson had been incarcerated at the Clark County Detention Center in 2021, but there was no evidence of him being in custody around the time Williams claims to have seen him alive.
Williams’ competency to stand trial has been a recurring issue. He was initially found competent in May 2023, but later evaluations deemed him incompetent, leading to a judge ordering treatment. After returning from a state hospital, he was found competent again in May 2024. However, by August 2024, his mental competency was in question once more, with conflicting reports from doctors. Ultimately, a judge ruled Williams to be competent to stand trial.
Scott Coffee, a former public defender with experience in cases involving clients with competency issues, explained the delicate balance that attorneys must maintain in such situations. According to Coffee, a client should dictate their objectives—such as seeking a not guilty verdict—while the attorney works on the strategy. “If you do it right, you can maintain your credibility while letting the client tell his story, but it’s a very difficult path to walk,” he reflected.
The challenge of representing Williams has been compounded by his firm belief that he saw Johnson alive after the shooting. This conviction has led to friction with his attorneys, as illustrated in past filings.
Initially, Tony Abbatangelo, Williams’ first attorney, sought to withdraw from the case after Williams insisted that Johnson was still alive and even threatened to sue him. Replacing Abbatangelo, Kenneth Frizzell also encountered difficulties as he attempted to acquire the alleged video evidence that Williams claimed would show Johnson alive. After discovering that the footage didn’t exist, Frizzell’s relationship with Williams deteriorated.
Frizzell remarked, “It’s a dead end,” emphasizing Williams’ persistent belief in the existence of the video footage.
Judge Kierny highlighted this recurring theme in her filings, noting that Williams’ disputes with each of his attorneys primarily focus on his belief that he witnessed Johnson alive long after the shooting.
Sanft took over Williams’ defense in February 2024, but the challenges posed by Williams’ unwavering conviction make this a particularly complex case to navigate. Frizzell speculated that Williams might genuinely believe he saw Johnson, suggesting the possibility of a hallucination or a case of mistaken identity: “I believe we all kind of have doppelgangers.”
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