NOT GUILTY: Dante Williams is free on self defense and 'necessity'

FORT WAYNE, Ind. ---The two hadn’t been getting along for a while.

So when Garland White came home around 11 a.m. in the morning after “being gone most of the night,” it wasn’t a warm homecoming with biscuits and gravy.

Dante Williams' co-counsel Jerad Marks (left) and Michael Middleton

It was more like the frying pan sung to the rhythm of the old timey “Bill Bailey, Won’t You Please Come Home.”

White was treated to numerous blows to the head, on his way to the kitchen to make himself some bacon and eggs after his night out, according to the probable cause affidavit.

His girlfriend, Pam Williams, 38, wasn’t having any of it.

Williams and her son, Dante Williams, 19, got involved in a physical altercation with White that left him with bruises and lacerations and a possible knife thrust to the sternum, according to court testimony.

Dante Williams was charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery, and two counts of criminal confinement, charges that could have put him away in prison for decades.The charges came on March 22 of this year, the same day as the attack. 

However, the jury in Allen Superior Court Judge David Zent’s courtroom sided with Dante as the one who was defending his mother. He used a broken closet rod to beat White, according to a probable cause affidavit and court testimony. And there was a broken knife found at the scene that was apparently used.

The defense, led by Jerad Marks, said Williams and White fought each other, and her son came to her defense.

Allen Superior Court Judge David Zent presided over Dante Williams' trial for attempted murder. He was found not guilty on four counts.

Dante claimed self defense and necessity “by committing a crime that was a lesser evil than what was going on,” Marks explained. His co-counsel was Michael Middleton.

Williams has her trial in August, according to Tasha Lee, deputy prosecutor. Deputy prosecutors Shannon White and Matthew Skeens were also on the prosecutorial team.

The prosecution put Parkview Health emergency room doctor John Heemstra on the stand. Heemstra went through the photos that showed all the abrasions and lacerations to White, but said they did not amount to life threatening injuries, he said.

Detective R.J. Sutphin took photos of the injuries which were shown in court Thursday before the verdict was pronounced. 

"My client stepped in and tried to break it up," Marks said. "For having such a rough life, he has always loved his mom and been respectful to the people he meets."

The jury deliberated for about two hours.