Drug Dealer Convicted Of Murder In 2023 Fatal Arlington Shooting

ARLINGTON, VA — An Arlington County jury found James R. Williams guilty of second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Sean Bowman on March 23, 2023, according to a release from the Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti's office.

The jury's verdict on Friday came after a four-day trial.

In the overnight hours of March 24-25, 2023, Williams, a known drug dealer, entered an apartment in the Buckingham neighborhood where Bowman was sleeping. Searching Bowman's pockets and accusing him of stealing drugs, Williams took a firearm from inside his jacket and shot Bowman twice, according to witness testimony.

When Bowman's body was found several days later, he had a gunshot wound in his cheek and another in his temple.

Police identified Williams as a suspect in the case and arrested him on March 31, 2023. They then charged him with murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute and possession of schedule I/II narcotics.

“This conviction cannot bring Mr. Bowman back to his family. However, our office is grateful for the jury’s careful consideration of all the evidence and their verdict," Dehghani-Tafti said. "Our hearts go out to Sean’s family, and we hope this verdict provides them with some measure of closure as they begin their healing journey.”

Williams is due back in the Arlington County Circuit Court on Aug. 22 for sentencing. He faces up to 40 years in prison on the second-degree murder charge, plus three years on the using a firearm in the commission of a murder charge.