Virginia man sentenced to 53 years for fatal shooting of elijah williams
Judge in the courtroom. Male judge striking the gavel.

Virginia Man Sentenced to 53 Years for Fatal Shooting of Elijah Williams

Posted by
1 min read
January 11, 2025

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A Virginia state judge on Thursday sentenced Dontae Lashaun Drumgold to 53 years in prison for the 2022 murder of 25-year-old Elijah Williams, court records show.

Drumgold, 28, was convicted in May of first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in connection with the deadly shooting.

Authorities said officers responded to a residential building on Raleigh Avenue in Alexandria on March 23, 2022, where they found Williams dead from a gunshot wound to the head.

Drumgold was indicted by a grand jury on May 8, 2023, and has been held without bail at the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center.

The firearm charge carried a mandatory minimum sentence of three years, while first-degree murder in Virginia can result in life imprisonment without parole.

Drumgold’s conviction closes a nearly two-year investigation into the fatal shooting that shocked the Alexandria community.

Phil Stilton

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.

Facebook

Don't Miss