GRANITE CITY, Ill. — A 33-year-old East St. Louis man was sentenced Thursday for a fatal Granite City shooting that has been described by prosecutors as "an execution in broad daylight."
Fred Williams Jr. was sentenced to 78 years in prison for the June 25, 2021, killing of Delas Carter, Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine announced on Thursday.
Williams was found guilty in March of shooting Carter, 30, outside of the tire shop on Madison Avenue where Carter worked. Carter had just stepped outside when Williams opened fire, the state's attorney said. He was rushed to a hospital, where he died.
The Granite City Police Department said officers spotted a car believed to be involved with the shooting and tried to pull it over. When the car fled, officers chased it down.
Two of the three men ran from the car when it came to a stop near the McKinley Bridge. The driver fatally shot himself while still behind the wheel. Police identified him as 31-year-old Dionta Moore.
Williams was later discovered as a suspect through an investigation with the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis. He was then found and arrested by the Granite City Police Department with the help of the United States Marshals Service.
In July of 2021, then-30-year-old Williams was charged with two alternative counts of first-degree murder and one count of reckless discharge of a firearm for his involvement in the shooting.
Haine said that evidence presented in court demonstrated that Williams approached Carter outside the tire shop and started firing shots directly at Carter, killing him. Carter reportedly had 10 bullet wounds.
At Thursday's sentencing hearing, Assistant State’s Attorney Luke Yager called the act a “pure and simple execution," the attorney's office said.
The shooting was caught on surveillance video from the tire shop. Despite the face of the shooter being covered, he was identified as Williams from photo and clothing comparisons made by investigators. Cell phone analysis, license plate reading technology, and DNA found in the getaway car contributed to his capture.
"We’re glad that the judge saw this criminal for who he is: a ruthless killer who needs to remain safely behind bars for a long time,” Haine said in a news release announcing the sentence. “We hope that this sentence brings some solace and healing to Mr. Carter’s family members, who have endured so much grief and have exhibited great stoicism throughout the court process.”
At Williams’ sentencing hearing Thursday, Circuit Judge Kyle Napp told Williams the security video showed him “coming back to ensure that you got the job done," adding that the footage “was hard to watch, and I’ve seen a lot.”
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