At an arraignment hearing on Friday, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the homicide charge of killing a corrections officer off-duty in Vineland in 2020.
A brawl between Zachary T. Latham, 19, and members of the Durham family on May 4 allegedly led to the death of William T. Durham Sr., 51.
Two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of reckless manslaughter, and weapons offenses were filed against him in February.
Soon after his arrest last year, he was released from jail pending trial, relocated to Florida, and was arrested there earlier this year, allegedly with a pellet gun that appeared to be an assault rifle, on charges he had intimidated a motorist.
After the revocation of his pre-trial release in New Jersey and the issuance of a warrant for his arrest, he surrendered to authorities in Florida. His return to New Jersey occurred last month.
In the beginning of their conflict, Latham was speeding on the street they shared with the Durham family. In a series of social media posts on TikTok, he is alleged to have taunted and mocked the Durham family and his interactions with them soon turned deadly.
A series of incidents leading up to May 4 were allegedly initiated by the defendant in a harassing manner toward the Durhams. Durham Sr, who had earlier confronted the defendant about an earlier incident in which the defendant had harassed one of the Durhams’ sons, tried to stop Latham, his wife and two friends in the middle of the road on May 4. A prosecutor stated that Latham drove about 500 feet away from Durham’s home after pushing Durham’s wife from his vehicle. As he was being chased by the Durhams, Latham had managed to acquire a stun gun and a kitchen knife.
William Durham Jr., who dodged the knife, was stabbed in the arm by Latham outside the garage. The fight was recorded by Latham’s wife on her phone. William Sr. sustained additional wounds during the melee, which were alleged to be inflicted by the defendant. Durham Sr. later died.
According to Latham, he acted in self-defense. Also involved in the melee were Durham’s wife and their sons. In addition to Latham, two of his friends were involved in the fight, but they were not charged.
As earlier reported, the Durham family had sought murder charges against Latham, claiming he lured Durham into the bloody showdown in order to gain “TikTok fame.”
Cumberland County prosecutors sought Latham’s pre-trial release to be revoked after he continued to discuss the case on social media in violation of his release order and brazenly talked about the killing while in Florida.
Court officials argued in February that Latham has used his notoriety to intimidate others who might cooperate in the Florida case, claiming that Latham uses it to claim acclaim in Florida, where he now resides.
Nathan Perry told the Times at the time that others were harassing Latham, getting him fired from his job in Florida and organizing “modern-day lynch mobs” against him.
Latham is expected back in court on Sept. 7 while he remains in Cumberland County Jail.
Citations.
NJ.com, M. G. | F. (2021, June 4). Teen charged with killing neighbor ordered back to jail in N.J. after Florida arrest. nj. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://www.nj.com/cumberland/2021/02/teen-charged-with-killing-neighbor-ordered-back-to-jail-in-nj-after-florida-arrest.html
Jonathon M. Poe 