Packed Preliminary Hearing For Suspects In Double Fatal Shooting

Prosecutors said during an hours-long preliminary hearing Wednesday that 19-year-old Joseph Williams fired the fatal shots that killed two men in spring in Bristol Township’s Winder Village community.

Williams, according to prosecutors, fired the .38 caliber Rossi revolver that ended up cutting down Zyisean “Ziggy” McDuffie, 19, and Tommy Ballard, 19, outside a home in the 900 block Elmhurst Avenue on the evening of Friday, May 4.

Williams was previously charged with Ballard’s death but new ballistic evidence indicates the .38 caliber revolver a witness saw him carrying also led to McDuffie’s death.

Following the hearing, Senior District Judge Leonard Brown forwarded two counts of criminal homicide and single counts of attempted murder, aggravated assault, possession of instruments of crime, and related offenses onto Doylestown for trial.

Gary Goddard, 48, of the township’s Croydon section, was initially accused of firing the shot that killed McDuffie after witnesses told police they saw him standover the 19 year old and fire a round at his head. During testimony Tuesday, it was revealed that the bullet allegedly fired by Goddard struck McDuffie but did not penetrate his skull or cause fatal injury.

Goddard had charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, discharging a firearm into an occupied structure, recklessly endangerment, and possession of instruments of crime move to Doylestown for trial.

The shooting took place on an evening when many teenagers in Winder Village were outside with their families taking pictures before Harry S. Truman High School’s junior prom. Shots rang out and McDuffie, who was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at Jefferson Torresdale Hospital, suffered five gunshot wounds and bled out after a bullet nicked an artery near his kidney. Shot twice, Ballard ended up passing away from a wound to his liver and kidney not long after being taken to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital.

An Elmhurst Avenue homeowner who was outside taking prom photos told investigators during a recorded interview that a gray Chrysler 300 carrying McDuffie, Ballard, and Jahmier “Man Montana” Wilson rolled up. McDuffie greeted the woman and complimented her prom-bound daughter but she noticed he seemed on guard.

She added that Williams and a few other young men, including Goddard’s son, were eating Chinese food outside her home when the group pulled up.

Wilson and Williams came together and a confrontation began near the street.

“Y’all Village boys are being disrespectful,” the woman recalled one of the young men saying.

McDuffie, the witness said, swung at Williams, who pulled a gun and opened fire.

“My God, there’s kids out here!” the woman yelled as she shepherded children behind a vehicle for cover.

As she watched the horror unfold in front of her eyes, she saw Goddard walk from Westin Avenue and begin shooting at McDuffie. She noted that Goddard’s son got in a vehicle with his dad and drove off after the shooting.

Williams and two other young men ended up fleeing following the shooting. The escape was captured on video, according to court papers.

At the hearing, Bristol Township Officer Dennis Leighton testified that he took Williams into custody behind a home in the 700 block of Winder Drive.

Suffering gunshot wounds, McDuffie, authorities said, got up after being hit and stumbled a few feet before collapsing.

During the melee, a home filled with people, including children, was struck by gunfire. No one inside was hurt.

Bristol Township Detective Jason Callahan said the .38 caliber Rossi revolver believed to have been used by Williams was found in a grill behind the home in the 700 block of Winder Drive.

In amended court papers filed Wednesday, police said they found several handguns inside Goddard’s Croydon apartment, including the .32 caliber H&R revolver that matched the bullets believed to have been fired by the 48 year old.

A Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office Detective examined two bullets pulled from the wall of the home and one that struck McDuffie in the head. The detective determined they came from the .32 caliber revolver found in Goddard’s apartment, according to court papers.

Testimony from police revealed a third firearm was involved, but statements did not reveal who may have fired the gun and whether it has been located. Following the hearing, a prosecutor said they could not comment on ongoing investigation.

Callahan testified that Goddard was legally allowed to possess weapons and Williams was barred due to a previous conviction.

Williams’ attorney, John Fioravanti, argued to the district judge that the homicide charges should be dismissed against the young man.

Blake Jackman, who represented Goddard, began to set up a possible defense that his client was reacting to seeing the confrontation. He also pointed to perceived inconsistencies in evidence presented.

Prosecutors agreed with Jackman about an offensive weapons charge and whether it was appropriate in the case. During her final statement, Deputy District Attorney Antonetta Stancu withdrew the offensive weapons charge for Goddard and Williams, citing a further preview by prosecutors.

“We have the murder weapon and the bullets, judge,” Stancu said when asking the judge to move the rest of the charges forward.

The preliminary hearing was packed with friends and family of the two victims. At some points, members of the audience made comments about statements spoken by the defense team for Goddard and Williams.

“People going to pay, for real,” one man mumbled as he left the courtroom.

Outside the district courthouse on Bath Road, an overflow group looked in the window to watch the preliminary hearing take place.

Extra police were on hand and carried metal detector wands.

---

---