W-S City Council to question former detective Dec. 17

The Winston-Salem City Council has set a date and time to question former Winston-Salem police detective Donald R. Williams about police procedure in the Jill Marker-Silk Plant Forest assault, which occurred in December 1995. Deputy City Manager Derwick Paige said the council will ask Williams, the lead detective in the Marker-Silk Plant Forest case, specifically about how police procedures were followed in his investigation during a closed session on Dec. 17 at 2 p.m. at City Hall. The council subpoenaed Williams last month after he refused to cooperate with the Silk Plant Forest Citizen Review Committee. 

 Sgt. Chuck Byrom and Lt. Joseph Ferrelli of the Winston-Salem Police Department have been assisting the committee with its investigation —which began earlier this year — and Williams had refused to be interviewed by them, Paige said. The committee then  asked city council to exercise its subpoena power to force Williams to comply. Williams was served the subpoena on Nov. 28. Paige said the purpose of the special meeting is to simply review police procedure in the case by listening to Williams' direct testimony, not to look into the guilt or innocence of Kalvin Michael Smith, who was convicted of assault with intent to kill in the Marker case 11 years ago.

Smith is currently serving a 28-year sentence at the Alexander Correctional Institution in Taylorsville. Smith has steadfastly proclaimed his innocence, and Duke law student volunteers, working on behalf of the Innocence Project, are now handling his case.