District Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Murdering 16-Year-Old

WASHINGTON - Eugene Williams, 18, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced yesterday for the February 8, 2022, shooting death of sixteen-year-old DeShaun Francis, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Williams was sentenced by the Honorable Maribeth Raffinan of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

Williams previously pleaded guilty on December 6, 2023, to voluntary manslaughter while armed with a firearm. According to the D.C. Voluntary Sentencing Guidelines, Williams faced a sentencing range of 7½-15 years' incarceration when he was sentenced. Given the facts of the case, the Assistant U.S. Attorney requested a sentence of 15 years' incarceration. Judge Raffinan sentenced Williams to ten years' incarceration, suspended execution of all but 8 ½ years of the sentence, and placed Williams on 18 months supervised probation under the Youth Rehabilitation Act.

According to the government's evidence, on February 8, 2022, Williams arranged to buy marijuana from a family member of DeShaun Francis. The family member, who was also planning to visit his father after making the sale, asked Mr. Francis if he wanted to ride along. Mr. Francis agreed to come along and was seated in the front passenger seat of the car when Williams came out to inspect the marijuana. Williams initially walked to the driver's side of the car, briefly interacted with the occupants, and then re-entered an apartment building. A short time later Williams returned to the car with his codefendant, Anthony Greene. Greene approached the driver's side of the car and Williams then walked to the passenger side of the car, armed with a firearm, and fired one shot into the car, striking DeShaun Francis, who was unarmed, in the head. Thereafter, as Greene and Williams fled the scene, there was an exchange of gunfire between Mr. Francis' family member and Greene and Williams. Mr. Francis was hospitalized in critical condition until February 11, 2023, when he succumbed to his injuries.

In announcing the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of former Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Rickard and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Antonelli, who investigated and prosecuted the case.