Trial For Murder Defendant Pushed To 2025

One of three people charged in the 2023 murder of a man at Hood Park in Cuba has had his trial rescheduled for 2025.

Maurice K. Williams, 23, Branson, was scheduled for a jury trial to begin June 10 before Judge Michael Randazzo.

Mister Zombie Halferty was gunned down Feb. 1, 2023 during what the probable cause statement describes as a drug deal.

During a May 13 court hearing, Randazzo set the trial for a two-week period beginning Monday, September 29, 2025.

The trial is scheduled to run through Friday, Oct. 10, 2025.

A case review is scheduled for January 13, 2025 and the final day the court will take a plea will be April 14, 2025.

Williams is currently in custody at the Crawford County Jail where online records show he has been held since May 10.

The two other defendants — Malik J. Brandon and Daeshawn L. Brandon — are scheduled to be tried later this year.

A trial is scheduled for Malik Brandon November 12-15 in Phelps County, with a pre-trial conference scheduled for Oct. 15 in Crawford County.

Daeshawn Brandon is scheduled to be tried November 4-8 in Iron County.

He is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 23, which is the final day the court will take a guilty plea with a recommendation.

The three defendants were allegedly meeting Halferty to purchase marijuana. 

Surveillance video showed a subject approach the driver’s side of Halferty’s vehicle. Three muzzle flashes were observed.

More gunshots are heard, but there were no muzzle flashes because gunshots had been fired from the passenger side of the victim’s vehicle.

The suspect vehicle leaves the scene, but returns about two minutes later.

Around eight more gunshots were fired and the vehicle left. That vehicle was found abandoned at a church parking lot on Highway WW in Sullivan.

The plates were removed, but the VIN was traced back to Malik Brandon.