A New Jersey jury acquitted Zachary Latham Tuesday, following a fatal stabbing between the defendant and his neighbor nearly three years ago in a quiet New Jersey neighborhood.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, the incident happened in a Vineland neighborhood in May 2020, when Latham, 18 at the time, stabbed his neighbor, identified as corrections officer William Durham, 51. The stabbing happened following a fight in front of Latham’s home.
Latham had been embroiled in a weeks-long dispute with the Durhams, who claimed Latham was driving too fast down Thornton Road, a road both Latham and the Durhams lived on.
Latham posted an argument with the Durhams on TikTok while calling the victim’s wife, Catherine Durham, a “Karen”. The victim’s family alleged Latham instigated the deadly ordeal to go viral on the social media platform, according to NJ.com.
The defendant called the deadly interaction a “mob attack,” after several Durham family members came to his home to confront him. The family was reportedly unarmed, according to Court TV, but Latham emerged from his residence with a 4-inch knife and a stun gun.
The court ruled that the lawyers were barred from discussing the interactions that happened the day before the stabbing. The jury subsequently found Latham not guilty on all charges, including second-degree manslaughter, weapons offenses, and aggravated assault.
#VERDICT: The jury reached a verdict in the #NastyNeighborStabbingTrial, NJ v. #ZacharyLatham.
Latham was found NOT GUILTY in the stabbing death of William “Timmy” Durham.#CourtTV Is this justice? pic.twitter.com/4B3zY3wnAK
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— Court TV (@CourtTV) April 13, 2023
“There are no winners here,” Superior Court Judge Cristen P. D’Arrigo said, following the verdict.
“Mr. Latham, you were successful in your defense, but you still have to live with the events of those days and the consequences of it.
“There’s little solace, I know, for the members of the family, but this is our judicial system and this is how it works … There are no winners, it’s all losers. But this is a good judicial system and this is the way it’s supposed to work.”
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[Feature Photo: Zachary T. Latham and William Durham/Police Handout; Facebook]
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