Williams sentenced to 30 years for Port Royal murder

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BEAUFORT, SC (WTOC) - The jury started deliberating Wednesday afternoon and finally at 8 p.m. the judge sent them all home to rest. The seven women and five men came back Thursday morning and deliberated for another 4 hours before making their decision. During that time, they had a number of questions for the judge regarding the law and sentencing.

But after the jury's verdict was read, the judge sentenced Kenneth Williams, 45, to 30 years in prison for breaking into 81-year-old Jack Koch's Port Royal home, robbing and killing him, all for $57. The two knew each other because Williams had done yardwork for Koch.

According to investigators and witnesses, it all happened when Williams and his friends went to Koch's house looking for money after they had been out partying and doing drugs.

While the defense tried to argue Williams friend Timothy Skinner was to blame, experts testified Williams's blood was found at Koch's house.

During the two-day trial, experts testified the stress of the beating caused Koch to have a heart attach and die.

"We were very comfortable going forward with murder but for the beating of our victim would be alive today but again it is a little unusual, and I was concerned that it would be difficult maybe for the jury to wrap their brains around that but they did it," said 14th Circuit Deputy Solicitor Angela Tanner.

Before the judge sentenced Williams, he addressed Koch's family. "I never took no body to your daddy's house for your daddy to get murdered," said Williams. "I never went there to murder your father. Now how these people found me guilty, I don't know. But as a man, I'm standing here in front of this courtroom, I did not murder your father."

Williams went on to say he should have called police to help Koch but that he was under the influence and he was sorry for what happened.

Williams has a lengthy criminal history dating back to the 1980s, including grand larceny, burglary and robbery.

While Williams serves 30 years in prison, the co-defendant in this case, Timothy Skinner's trial date has not yet been set.