Saratoga County James A. Murphy, III announced on Thursday, Oct. 28 the conviction of two individuals involved in a stabbing and beating of a victim as they were leaving Club 388 on Broadway in Saratoga Springs that occurred on Feb. 1, 2009.
The vestibule and sidewalk just outside of Club 388 was the location where the victim was stabbed repeatedly, roughly eight times, by Dwight J. Williams (a.k.a. Dwight Dallas, a.k.a. Dwight George and a.k.a. Joseph Write),31, of 345 Division Street, Schenectady.
Williams plead guilty to the crime of Attempted Assault in the 1st Degree as a class C Violent Felony and admitted that he stabbed the victim eight times in the torso and legs. The knife punctured the victim’s lung, cut open the victim’s spleen, which later had to be removed by surgeons, and further caused the victim’s diaphragm to rupture. Williams was intoxicated and had spent the hours before the assault in Club 388.
Since this is a violent felony, Williams will receive a determinate sentence of five years in a state prison followed by an additional 5 years of Post Release Supervision. Sentencing will occur on Thursday, Dec. 22.
The victim has made a full recovery and is satisfied with the disposition, after having worked closely with the Crime Victim Unit of the DA’s Office.
In a related case, the co defendant, James Edward Steele (a.k.a. Robert Steele, a.k.a. Ladon Espada, 34, of 1492 Broadway, Schenectady, plead guilty today to Attempted Assault 2nd as a Class E Felony for his role in punching the victim, while Williams stabbed the victim. Steele did not use the knife as Williams had, but instead punched him repeatedly around the neck, torso and legs. The punching caused physical injury including substantial pain, bruising and swelling. None of the punches caused serious physical injury, however. Steele will be receiving a sentence of up to three years in a state correctional facility. Sentencing will occur on in November of 2010.
Police responded to Club 388 and witnessed Williams and Steele casually walking away from the Club, but an officer noticed blood on the clothing of Williams. They were shortly thereafter apprehended once it was determined that the victim had been stabbed. Police speculate that alcohol played a role in the altercation, although the motive itself is unknown.
Murphy said Saratoga Springs is not a place where stabbings occur, so this is a rarity. These two individual will be going to state prison and will be removed from the community. `