An Arlington man has been convicted of a 2023 murder in the Buckingham neighborhood.
James R. Williams shot another man, Sean Bowman, to death in an apartment on N. Thomas Street on March 25, 2023, an Arlington jury found.
Prosecutors say Williams was “a known drug dealer” and shot Bowman twice in the head after accusing him of stealing drugs. Williams was arrested three days after Bowman’s body was discovered.
“Our office is grateful for the jury’s careful consideration of all the evidence and their verdict,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti. “Our hearts go out to Sean’s family, and we hope this verdict provides them with some measure of closure as they begin their healing journey.”
Williams is set to be sentenced in August.
More, below, from a press release.
On Friday night, June 7, 2024, after a four-day trial, an Arlington jury found James R. Williams guilty of the March 25, 2023, murder of Sean Bowman. The jury also convicted Mr. Williams of using a firearm in the commission of the murder.
On the night of March 24, 2023, and into the early hours of March 25, 2023, Sean Bowman was at an apartment in the Buckingham neighborhood of Arlington County. During the night, Mr. Williams, a known drug dealer in the area, entered the apartment while Mr. Bowman was sleeping. Witnesses testified that Williams searched Bowman’s pockets, accusing him of stealing drugs. Williams then drew a firearm from his jacket and shot Bowman twice—once in the cheek and once in the temple. Mr. Bowman’s body was discovered several days later.
The Arlington County Police Department conducted a thorough investigation, including crime scene analysis, fingerprint examination, surveillance footage recovery, and forensic DNA testing.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti commented, “This conviction cannot bring Mr. Bowman back to his family. However, our office is grateful for the jury’s careful consideration of all the evidence and their verdict. Our hearts go out to Sean’s family, and we hope this verdict provides them with some measure of closure as they begin their healing journey.”
The trial team was led by Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Nassir Aboreden and Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Colleen L’Etoile. Deena Ware and Lydia Hatcher from the Commonwealth’s Attorney Victim Witness Program provided support to the victim’s family before and during the trial.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 22, 2024, in the Arlington County Circuit Court. Mr. Williams faces up to 40 years in prison for the charge of second-degree murder and an additional 3 years for using a firearm in the commission of a murder.
