Worcester man arrested for murder of 19-year-old Massachusetts college student William Smith

WORCESTER – A Worcester County Grand Jury indicted Marquis Brown, 40, of Worcester, for the 2008 murder of 19-year-old Becker College student William Smith, who was fatally stabbed in the chest near North Ashland Street, according to District Attorney Joseph D. Early, Jr.

Steven Black, 39, of Worcester, was also indicted for perjury related to the investigation. He was arraigned in Worcester Superior Court on June 6, 2025, released on $5,000 cash bail with GPS monitoring, and given release conditions.

On September 21st, 2008, Worcester Police officers were dispatched to the area of Honey Farms at 101 Highland St for a large fight. Responding officers found a large crowd of about 100 people with several active fights in progress. The crowd began to disperse when officers arrived, but several people continued fighting as officers attempted to break up the fights.

As an officer approached the intersection of North Ashland and Dix St, he observed a male carrying another male. The male being carried, later identified as Smith, had blood on his clothes. The officer called for an ambulance and rendered medical aid to Smith, who was unresponsive. Smith suffered a stab wound to his chest and was transported to the hospital by ambulance.

Officers determined that Smith was involved in a fight while attending a large party on North Ashland St. After the fight, one of his friends realized that he had been stabbed and carried him until seeing police. Smith succumbed to his injuries at the hospital and was pronounced deceased.

Brown was arrested without incident in Worcester after the Tuesday indictment. He was arraigned in Worcester Superior Court on Wednesday, charged with murder, and held without bail. His next court date is July 21, 2025.

The Worcester Police Department investigated the case, which is part of ongoing efforts by the Worcester Police and District Attorney’s Office to resolve open homicide cases.

Anyone with information about this case or other unresolved homicides can contact the Worcester Police Detective Bureau at (508) 799-8651, send an anonymous text to 274637 TIPWPD, or submit an anonymous message at worcesterma.gov/police.