Defendant: William Johnson (DOB 03/07/99)

Nov. 5, 2020 -- Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. announced William Johnson of Yonkers, at the time an inmate in the Westchester County Jail, was sentenced today to seven years in state prison in the death of another inmate, 18-year-old Bryce Neville.

Johnson was indicted in March. He pleaded guilty in October to Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony.

Background
On Jan. 30, 2020, while inside the Westchester County Jail in Valhalla, defendant William Johnson punched another inmate, Bryce Neville, in the side of the head. Neville fell to the floor and suffered serious injury. He was taken to Westchester County Medical Center where he died Feb. 3, 2020.

The Westchester County Medical Examiner found the cause of death to be blunt force injury to the head, a skull fracture and subarachnoid hemorrhage.

The attack was investigated by the District Attorney’s Office in collaboration with the Westchester County Department of Public Safety and the Westchester County Department of Correction. Assistant District Attorney Lana Hochheiser, Deputy Chief of the Homicide Bureau, is prosecuting the case.

In compliance with the Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 3.6, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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