Bond set at $5 million for murder suspect Dale Williams

June 17, 2017 at 12:09a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Prosecutors said Friday that Elizabeth Pledger-Stewart begged for her life after her car was pushed into a Market Street building, but the man accused of killing her told detectives his mind was already made up.

“He said he didn’t have any time for that – it was too late,” city Prosecutor Dana Lantz said of the confession 59-year-old Dale Williams gave to detectives for the shooting of Pledger-Stewart, 46, of Boardman, about 8 a.m. Thursday on Market Street.

Judge Robert Milich set bond at $5 million for Williams, who was arraigned on a charge of aggravated murder for the death of Pledger-Stewart as she was driving to work.

Lantz told the judge Pledger-Stewart and Williams are both from the Cleveland area and had a relationship that turned sour.

On Wednesday less than 12 hours before her death, Pledger-Stewart drove to the Boardman police station and made a report about threats Williams made against her, including one where he threatened “to get her in the streets.”

Lantz said Williams confessed to detectives and said he knew her route to work and was waiting for her Friday. Video shows that Williams waited for 48 minutes nearby before he saw Pledger-Stewart’s car, and he weaved in and out of traffic before ramming it off the road and killing her.

Williams emptied an entire 10-round clip of 9 mm ammunition at Pledger-Stewart, Lantz said, before surrendering to police, even though he told detectives he hoped a police officer would shoot him.

Lantz said Williams had a menacing conviction in Cleveland in 1994 and an aggravated-assault conviction in Cleveland in 1996.

Earlier Friday, at Compass Family And Community Services, advocates for victims of domestic violence had a forum because they said they want victims to know there is hope and there are resources available for them, said Joe Caruso, president and CEO.

Malinda Gavins, the project manager for Sojourner House, which is run by Compass and helps victims of domestic abuse, said it is important for someone in an abusive relationship to have a plan when they leave a relationship. She said plans are important because statistics show that the most dangerous time in an abusive relationship is when the person who is abused wants to leave.

Gavins said that Sojourner House is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and there is a person available after hours who can talk to a victim at any time and can refer that person to a place to stay at any time.

City police officer Kelly Jankowski, who works with domestic-violence victims as part of her job as an investigator with the Family Investigative Services Unit at the department, said when officers take domestic-violence complaints, victims are given a form to fill out that refers them to Sojourner House should they need help finding an immediate place to stay.

Jankowski said it is not unsual for victims to drop charges or refuse to testify against their abuser. Often, she said, they are afraid because the abuser will go to jail only for a short period. Jankowski said she tells victims that they can use that time to figure out when to leave the relationship.

Caruso and Gavins said it is not unusual for a victim to try and leave a situation several times before they finally succeed. What helps when someone uses a program like Sojourner House is that victims have a network of counselors and other people around to help them. That builds up a person’s self esteem because they have people supporting them, Gavins said.

“They have a whole team to help them,” Gavins said.

Anyone needing help can contact the Sojourner House 24 hours a day at 330-747-4040 or toll free at 866-436-6269.