Testimony concludes in truck murder trial
MEDIA COURTHOUSE » Testimony in the trial of a Chester man accused of killing his girlfriend by striking her with his truck concluded Thursday with Tinicum Police Chief James Simpkins.
Daniel Williams, 39, of the 900 block of Terrill Street, is facing first-degree murder and related charges in the death of 26-year-old Shantel Marie Harmon on Aug. 22, 2019. He is accused of running her down twice with a Nissan Titan pickup truck in the parking lot of a Tinicum Sunoco station, the second time also injuring a woman who was trying to help Harmon.
The trial was delayed Thursday morning when a short competency hearing
was held, but Common Pleas Court Judge Mary Alice Brennan ultimately concluded Williams was competent to stand trial and testimony continued.
The jury previously heard from Shantel Harmon’s sister, Mercedes, who said Williams had threatened to kill the victim in June 2019. They also heard from the bystander and second victim, Desiree Scott, who said she had gone to the Sunoco that night to get snacks when she heard running and then a “thump.”
Scott said she turned to see a woman with no top on covered in blood. The petite woman was lying just a few feet in front of the Sunoco doors near a large truck. Scott said she was able to move Harmon inside the doors of the Sunoco before the Titan came crashing into the store, sending them both flying.
Both victims were taken to Penn Presbyterian Hospital, where Harmon was pronounced dead from multiple blunt force injuries.
Scott told Deputy District Attorney Laurie Moore she suffered internal injuries and damage to her leg that required surgeries. She said she has not yet fully recovered and may never do so.
Simpkins on Thursday detailed the investigative process he undertook in 2019, when he was the township’s sole detective. This included collecting and reviewing surveillance videos, speaking with Scott in the trauma center as she was being treated, and developing search warrants for Williams’ truck, DNA and cell phone records.
County Detective James Rearden previously went through photographs taken at the crime scene and of the damaged truck, which was found by police shortly after the crash in Chester. A citizen had followed the vehicle to the city while on the phone with 911 and provided a plate number, as well as a location. Responding officers allegedly found Williams hiding under a box truck near the Titan with the Nissan’s keys in his pocket.
The Titan was registered to Williams, Rearden said, and Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Gregory Butler said a review of the mechanical and other systems showed no defects that would have contributed to the crash.
Rearden also narrated video surveillance of Harmon running from the truck in the parking lot of the Sunoco Service Station at 15 Industrial Highway
and very nearly making it to the doors of the station’s convenience store when she was first struck. Video showed the second strike of both victims after Scott helped Harmon inside, when the Titan came roaring about 15 feet into the store, according to Rearden.
Simpkins said the timestamps on those videos were about nine and a half minutes fast, and that the incident took place between 8:52 and 8:53 p.m. He also testified that coordinates extracted from Williams’ phone data placed him at the scene of the crime at that time.
The Commonwealth rested after Simpkins’ testimony Thursday afternoon. Williams chose not to testify.