Girlfriend Of Norristown Murder Victim Pleads Not Guilty

NORRISTOWN, PA — The girlfriend of a Norristown murder victim has pleaded not guilty to second degree murder after police alleged she played a role in the killing.

Katherine Emel, 29, of Plymouth Meeting, faces second degree murder and robbery charges in the incident.

Emel provided crucial information about her boyfriend, William Carter, to one of the suspects Daquan Allen, 29, that led him three other suspects to target their eventual victim, police said.

Emel discovered that the victim Carter, had recently won $3,000 while gambling, and told Allen where Carter was going to be the night of the killing, according to the DA's Office.

After Allen and the others robbed and killed Carter, Allen met Emel on North Broad Street in Philadelphia, where he gave her $700, police said. Their exchange was captured on video surveillance.

“When you assist other people in committing a dangerous felony like robbery and the target of the robbery is murdered, then under the law, you are responsible for their murder as well,” DA Kevin Steele said in a statement.

Allen, 29, of Norristown, Damon Brantley Jr., 18, of Norristown, and Jerry Butler, 28, of Philadelphia, and a fourth suspect who was not identified because he is underage were captured in New York state last week, about an hour north of Scranton.

The incident occurred on Jan. 20 at around 7:40 p.m. on the zero block of West Wood Street in Norristown.

The trio were captured on video running from a gray Toyota RAV-4 and toward the victim, William Carter. They then robbed him before Brantley fired three shots at him, hitting him in the head and killing him, police said.

Authorities said they believe that the weapon has an illegal "switch" attached to it that allows it to fire extremely quickly, essentially becoming a fully automatic weapon.

Brantley was matched to the video surveillance in the incident because he wore the same clothing in the same vehicle to a Norristown High School basketball game earlier that day, police said.
The vehicle was stolen from Cheltenham on Dec. 21.

The next hearing date for Emel is set for June 21.