Chicago man sentenced to 27 years in Valentine’s Day domestic violence assault

A Chicago man who broke into his ex-girlfriend’s home on Valentine’s Day and repeatedly stabbed the woman and her daughter with a kitchen knife has been sentenced to 27 years in prison, according to the Office of Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez.

Derrick Williams, 49, of Chicago, pled guilty to charges of Attempted First Degree Murder and Home Invasion and was sentenced to 27 years in connection with the Feb. 14, 2009 attack.

According to prosecutors, Williams and the victim had been in a brief dating relationship that had ended nearly one year before the attack occurred. The victim was home with her daughter and son when Williams broke into her apartment and entered the bedroom of the victim where he punched her and began to stab her with a kitchen knife. When the victim’s daughter attempted to stop the attack, Williams slashed her in the face, cutting her from the hairline to middle of her cheek.

Williams then dragged the victim and her daughter to the living room area where he continued to stab the victim about the body. The victim’s daughter and son were able to call police during the attack and the defendant fled the apartment on foot. Chicago police on patrol arrested Williams, who was covered in blood from the attack and still carrying the knife in his back poket.

Williams admitted to stabbing the victim and forensic tests later matched the blood found on Williams’clothing and the knife with that of the victim.

Alvarez thanked Assistant State’s Attorney Mary Anna Planey of the State’s Attorney’s Domestic Violence Division for her hard work on the case.