Lakewood man beaten, stabbed and left inside a dumpster enclosure has been identified
A 64-year-old Lakewood man stabbed and beaten, allegedly at the hands of a teenager July 31, has been identified.
Leonard J. Williams died from multiple sharp and blunt-force injuries, according to the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office. His death was ruled a homicide.
Brodey Drew Brownell, 17, was charged as an adult Thursday with first-degree murder in Williams’ death.
Court records allege the teenager recorded at least part of the attack at an apartment complex.
Charging documents filed in Pierce County Superior Court state Brownell taunted Williams while he assaulted him in the early hours of July 31, then fatally stabbed him before dragging the body into a dumpster enclosure.
Judge Grant Blinn set Brownell’s bail at $1.5 million.
Lakewood Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Charles Porche said Williams was a resident of the apartment complex.
Police learned that an upstairs apartment 75 feet from the crime scene had been a “near constant” source of 911 calls in the last few weeks, according to the probable cause document. Complaints had reported wild parties, weapons and underage drinking.
Witnesses and a resident’s surveillance camera helped police identify Brownell as a suspect. Charging papers allege that he showed a video of himself stomping on the victim’s head to at least two people.
