By Ray Dombrowski
BUFFALO — Four Buffalo residents are now charged with first-degree murder in what prosecutors call a plot to kill a witness before he could testify. That indictment leads a week of court and police actions across Western New York, which also included a federal gun-trafficking complaint, two arrests in a September shooting on Timon Street and the state’s emergency shutdown of a Niagara County day care.
Everyone charged below is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Indictment alleges plot to silence a murder-trial witness
Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane said Thursday that five defendants were arraigned on an indictment accusing them of conspiring to kill Willraw T. Morrison, 23, to stop him from testifying in the July 2025 murder trial of one of them, Lamarrio A. Clark.
Mr. Morrison was shot on the first block of Krupp Street at about 1:30 p.m. on March 19, 2025, and was pronounced dead at Erie County Medical Center, according to the district attorney’s announcement.
Mr. Clark, 29; Dayshawn J. Brazier, 35; James S. Barnwell, 27; and Angela Bowser, 25, all of Buffalo, are each charged with first-degree murder and second-degree conspiracy. Amos J. Murray, 24, of Buffalo, is charged with second-degree conspiracy.
Prosecutors also accuse Mr. Brazier of hiring someone to shoot Mr. Morrison on Ashley Street on Sept. 12, 2024. Mr. Morrison was hit several times in that attack and survived. Mr. Brazier faces an added charge of attempted first-degree murder.
All five are being held without bail and are due back in court Dec. 11. Buffalo Toronto Public Media also reported the indictment.
Federal complaint: two Buffalo men sold guns to investigators
U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced Friday that Dut Dour, 34, and Tommy Purdue, 28, both of Buffalo, are charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to traffic firearms. The charge carries up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The FBI and ATF began looking into a gun-trafficking group in May 2025, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Investigators made controlled buys from Mr. Dour on Aug. 15, 2025, and on Feb. 27, April 14 and April 29, 2026, picking up four handguns and a rifle in all. Prosecutors say Mr. Purdue was present at the first buy.
Investigators say Mr. Purdue appeared in photos and videos “flaunting and advertising various kinds of firearms dating back to November 2024,” and that Mr. Dour carried more than one phone. Traffickers, the office said, often use a “dirty” phone, “a cell phone primarily used to facilitate illegal activity between co-conspirators to avoid detection of law enforcement.”
Both men were detained after appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer. The Justice Department lists the case under Operation Take Back America, which it describes as a nationwide initiative aimed at illegal immigration, cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and violent crime. The release does not allege any immigration or cartel link in this case.
Two arrested on Timon Street in September shooting
Buffalo police arrested Levar Chamberlain, 28, after a search warrant was served Saturday on Timon Street, WKBW reported. He is charged with first-degree assault, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and second-degree criminal mischief in a Sept. 27 shooting.
A man was shot in the arm just before 9 p.m. that night and taken to ECMC. The department’s Gun Violence Unit found that a vehicle and two houses were also hit by gunfire.
Police said the search turned up about 7 grams of suspected cocaine, 34 suspected oxycodone pills, 129 suspected suboxone strips, drug paraphernalia and $3,000 in cash. Levar Chamberlain and Antwan Chamberlain, 26, were each charged with third-, fourth- and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and second-degree criminal use of drug paraphernalia. WGRZ also reported the arrests.
State shuts Ransomville day care, seeks to revoke license
The state Office of Children and Family Services suspended the license of Jill’s Play Yard, at 3745 Ransomville Road in Ransomville, Niagara County, on Oct. 16 and is seeking to revoke it, WGRZ reported Friday, citing the agency’s letter to the provider.
According to that letter, the state found that staff had inappropriate contact with children on June 12 and Oct. 2, and failed to immediately report suspected abuse or maltreatment of a 2-year-old and a 3-year-old by a staff member on those dates. The state received a complaint Oct. 2 and inspected the day care Oct. 5 and Oct. 7. It found the children’s health, safety and welfare were in imminent danger.
“The safety and well-being of every New York child is the Office of Children and Family Services’ highest priority, which is why we moved swiftly to suspend the child care license of Jill’s Play Yard, closing its operations for severe violations of child care safety regulations,” the agency said in a statement to WGRZ.
The provider had 10 days from the date of the letter to request a hearing on the suspension and 30 days to contest the revocation. It was not known whether it had done so. No criminal charges have been announced. The Chronicle is seeking comment from the day care.
DA names election-complaint liaison ahead of Nov. 3
With Election Day set for Nov. 3, Mr. Keane said Friday that a prosecutor from his Special Investigations and Prosecutions Bureau will serve as liaison to every police agency in the county on complaints of voter intimidation, election fraud or other prohibited conduct at polling places.
“Every eligible voter must be able to exercise their fundamental right to vote in a safe and secure polling place, free from intimidation, threats, or unlawful interference,” Mr. Keane said in a statement. “Any attempt to prevent voters from casting their ballots will not be tolerated.”
Polling-site complaints in Erie County go to the DA’s office at 716-858-2400. Complaints statewide can go to the state Attorney General’s Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-390-2992. Violence or dangerous conduct should be reported to local police right away.
Guilty plea in Niagara Square flagpole damage
Justin M. Eassa, 34, of the Town of Tonawanda, pleaded guilty Thursday in Buffalo City Court to fourth-degree criminal mischief, a misdemeanor, the DA’s office said. Prosecutors said he damaged a city-owned flagpole in Niagara Square early on July 2 and stole a Somali flag, which was never recovered.
Prosecutors asked that he be ordered to pay the city $462 in restitution and do community service. He faces up to 364 days in jail at sentencing on Jan. 7, according to the DA. He also has two pending cases in Kenmore Village Court.
Photo: Erie County Hall in downtown Buffalo. w_lemay / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
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