425-Year Term Urged for Campus Murderer

The district attorney’s office recommended a prison sentence of 425 years to life this week for 16-year-old Andy Williams, who pleaded guilty to last year’s shooting rampage at Santana High School that killed two students and wounded 13 others.

Defense attorneys have asked Superior Court Judge Herbert J. Exarhos for the minimum sentence of 50 years to life, noting that Williams has accepted responsibility for his crimes and expressed remorse.

An Illinois couple who are part of a group called Friends and Supporters of Charles Andy Williams decried the prosecutors’ Monday recommendation.

“It doesn’t surprise me, but it certainly shows what happens when we begin trying children as adults: Anything goes,” said Robert Grimm, who lives in a Chicago suburb and started the support group. “Here’s a kid who was bullied very badly, and then he exploded. We need to stop treating children as predators.”

But Deputy Dist. Atty. Kris Anton said she rejected the request for concurrent sentences for two counts of murder and 13 counts of attempted murder stemming from the six-minute shooting spree on the morning of March 5, 2001, in suburban Santee.

“I could not justify concurrent terms because there were separate acts of violence and separate victims,” Anton said. “If he had stopped shooting after he killed Bryan Zuckor, the sentence would have been 50 to life but he didn’t. He kept shooting.”

Several victims and their family members plan to testify Thursday before Exarhos decides Williams’ sentence. Grimm’s group is planning a candlelight vigil outside San Diego Juvenile Hall on Thursday night.

Anton said that she talked to victims and their family members before deciding on her recommendation. “In general, they want to make sure he never gets out.”

Williams is set to be sent to a youthful offender portion of a state prison until he reaches 18 and is transferred to the adult section.