TACOMA, WA – Today Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist charged Marcus Langford and James Stimson, Jr., both 16 years old, with Murder in the First Degree and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm in the Second Degree for the shooting death of David Watson. Defendant Langford was arraigned today and bail was set at $1 million. A warrant was issued for Stimson, who remains at large.
“Our Gang Unit is committed to vigorous prosecution of violent gang members in our community,” said Prosecutor Lindquist. “These gang members committed adult-sized crimes and will be prosecuted as adults. Gang violence is down in Pierce County, but there is more work to be done.”
The 45-year-old victim was driving around South Tacoma looking for his dog in the early morning hours of November 18 when he encountered the defendants in the parking lot of a convenience store. They demanded money and then shot him as he sat in his pickup truck. The victim managed to drive two blocks before losing control and crashing. Police responded to the scene and found the victim unconscious and his dog unharmed. He was taken to a hospital and died a few hours later. During the autopsy, a .380 caliber bullet was recovered from the victim’s body.
Surveillance video from a nearby convenience store showed the defendants talking to the victim as he stood outside of his truck. After the victim got into his truck, the defendants reached in, shot him and ran away. Later on the day of the murder, a relative of Stimson called police. She reported that, months earlier, Stimson had taken two of her husband’s guns, a .380 caliber semiautomatic pistol and a .38 caliber revolver. Stimson returned the revolver to her that day, several hours after the murder.
When interviewed by police, defendant Langford claimed that Stimson was pointing the gun at Watson when the victim grabbed it and it went off. The defendants are both acknowledged gang members associated with the 64 block crips.
The defendants are charged as adults because of their age and the seriousness of the crime. Charges are only allegations and a person is presumed innocent unless he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
For more information, please contact Kelly Kelstrup at (253) 798-7792, [email protected].