T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA Malcolm Alcindor Williams is sentenced to 14 years in prison by Belmont County Common Pleas Judge Chris Berhalter.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — “I’m an innocent man.”

That was all that Malcolm Alcindor Williams said when Belmont County Common Pleas Court Judge Chris Berhalter asked if there was any statement he would like to make before his sentencing Monday.

Williams, an over-the-road truck driver from Alabama, was sentenced to 14 years in prison by Berhalter Monday morning after being found guilty of shooting another trucker, Michael Brundage, in the face in January 2024.

Williams received 11 years for attempted murder for shooting the Ellenboro, West Virginia, resident in the face on the side of Interstate 470 west of Bellaire. He received an additional three years for a firearms specification.

“The maximum sentence the defendant may serve is 19½ years. It is presumed that the defendant will be released after serving 14 years with credit for time served,” Berhalter said. “However, if the defendant commits new crimes while in prison, engages in bad conduct, does not follow the rules and regulations or is deemed a continuing threat to society, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction may impose the additional 5½ years for a total maximum sentence of 19½ years.”

Berhalter said the evidence the prosecution presented overwhelmingly proved Williams’ guilt. He said that the data from his semi-truck placed him near the victim idling as well as showed that Williams stopped at the time the victim was shot.

“The bullet that struck the victim in the face was fired from the gun found in your pocket when you were arrested,” Berhalter said to Williams.

He added that the only evidence not presented by Belmont County Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan was a motive.

“You had never even met the victim. This was not a case of self defense. This was not a case of settling a grudge,” Berhalter said. “In this court’s mind, that makes you one of the most dangerous people I’ve ever had to impose a sentence on. It appears you shot him for sport or even pleasure.”

He then questioned if Williams was stopped at the beginning of a potential spree of violence or if he was already on a spree and this is just the act that he was caught doing.

Flanagan said that the one thing that he could not show to a jury was motive.

“As Judge Berhalter pointed out, the scariest thing about this case is the fact that there was no motive,” he said. “There was an individual who was broken down on the side of the road, that individual needed assistance.”

He added that Williams pulled over and walked to the victim, asking him what was wrong.

Flanagan said that the victim told Williams he believed there was a problem with the fuel filter of his truck.

“Within seconds, he is shot in the face. And again, that is the part that is most concerning because, as Judge Berhalter pointed out, there was no grudge, there was no motive, there was no provocation,” Flanagan said. “That is the one thing in all of this that leaves you scratching your head. How could somebody commit this sheer act of violence without any type of provocation, without any type of reason at all?”

He added that Williams showed no remorse throughout the course of the trial.

“Out of all of the things that are scary about this crime, the fact that there is no remorse is the scariest,” Flanagan said.