Man Sentenced To 33 Years For Fatal Stabbing And Attack On Pet

An Alexandria man had pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 33 years in the penitentiary for fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend and attacking her kitten days before last September. Melvin John Williams, 23, pleaded guilty to first degree murder, malicious Wounding, impeding a police officer and animal cruelty.

Prosecutors say Williams stabbed the victim, DaSheria Barksdale, to death in the second-floor bedroom of a home in the 900 block of North Henry Street. Barksdale had ended their relationship and asked Williams to move out after he attacked her kitten and fractured its leg.

On Sept. 14, 2017, a crowd of people were outside the home around 1 a.m. when they heard Barksdale screaming from the bedroom. Multiple witnesses saw Williams holding Barksdale at knifepoint. One person came into the room to defend Barksdale, but Williams stabbed him.

The person jumped out of the window to escape, while Williams barricaded himself in the room with Barksdale. When police arrived, he reportedly yelled, "I've killed her. Now you'll have to kill me."

When police forced open the door, they found Barksdale lying on the floor with multiple stab wounds and Williams armed with a knife. Police used Tasers to get Williams to drop down the knife, but he only turned the knife on himself. He was taken into custody after a struggle and taken to a hospital for his self-inflicted stabbing wounds.

Barksdale died from the stabbing wounds. Police charged Williams and took him to jail upon his from the hospital.

"Domestic-related violence remains a clear and present problem in our community," said Alexandria Commonwealth's Attorney Bryan Porter. "In this case, the defendant's cruel and callous infliction of injury upon a defenseless animal was the signpost of further violence to come. Animal cruelty is, by itself, a serious crime and it is often linked to violence against domestic partners."

Williams was sentenced to 102 years in the penitentiary with all but 33 years suspended. The conditions for this sentenced are 50 years of good behavior upon release, 20 years of supervised probation, and the payment of restitution. He remains at Alexandria's Truesdale Adult Detention Center pending transfer to the penitentiary.

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Image via Alexandria Commonwealth's Attorney