Two men accused of killing Portland fisherman 15 years ago

Robert Martin, Portland’s interim assistant chief, talks about the two men who were indicted and are in custody in connection with the fatal stabbing of Frank A. Williams III in 2008. Chief Mark Dubois is at left. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

Two men have been indicted in the 2008 killing of a Portland man in Kennedy Park.

Portland police announced Tuesday that Shane Hall, 36, and Khang Tran, 30, were indicted on murder charges in the death of Frank A. Williams III, a 37-year-old fisherman.

Frank A. Williams III Courtesy of FBI

“We hope this helps (Williams’) family find closure knowing that someone will be held accountable for his death,” Portland interim Assistant Chief Robert Martin said at a news conference Tuesday. He offered few details on what led to the indictments.

Williams was stabbed near Kennedy Park just before 2 a.m. on Aug. 16, 2008, by three men police said he knew. He left behind a 1-year-old daughter and 14-year-old son.

At the time, police said that a woman initially reported a group of eight or more men in their mid-20s had chased Williams across a soccer field.

However, witnesses closer to the attack later told police that the crowd gathered near the field appeared to have been drawn by the sounds of the escalating conflict. The crowd then scattered when the three men chased Williams, stabbing him before he climbed through a hole in a fence along the field.

Williams died at Maine Medical Center from multiple stab wounds.

His family and former girlfriend told the Press Herald in 2008 that he had battled drug use, which police said might have played a role in the attack. They also said Williams had been involved in several assaults over drugs.

His family was not at the brief news conference Tuesday. Martin said police met with them on Friday night after the indictments were handed down.

“I think they’re appreciative,” Martin said. “There’s always the skepticism. … ‘Why did it take so long? Why wasn’t I informed?” So I think it will take a while to sink in with them.”

It was not clear Tuesday if police are looking for a third attacker.

Hall and Tran are currently incarcerated and serving sentences for unrelated crimes. Hall is serving a 15-year sentence in Maine for kidnapping a Rockland woman as she walked home from work in 2017.

Tran pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy last year in connection with the 2012 death of Matthew Blanchard. Tran originally faced more serious charges in the case, including murder. He is being held in federal prion in Louisiana on other charges.

In August, on the 15th anniversary of Williams’ killing, the FBI offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. That offer still stands, Martin said. Police would not say if the indictments were related to tips provided in connection with the reward.

Martin said it is possible others were involved in the killing, and he urged anyone with information to come forward.

Portland has 12 other unsolved homicide cases, though that does not include the death of Nicholas ‘Wolf’ Gardner in January. The department says a case is not classified as “unsolved” until two years have passed without an arrest.

“We have leads on several cases we can work on,” he said. “We’re going to the next one.” Martin said it is a priority for the department to solve all of those cases and it’s important to him to bring closure to the families.