WORCESTER, Mass. — This week, two men were charged with the 2008 fatal stabbing of Becker College student Will Smith in Worcester.
A Worcester Grand Jury recently indicted 40-year-old Marquis Brown on one count of murder.
Another man, 39-year-old Steven Black, was indicted on a perjury charge related to the case.
“I don’t know what to say because I really had this, in my heart, at rest,” said Jeanne Smith, victim Will Smith’s mother.
After nearly 17 years, she never expected the call from the DA’s office informing her of the arrests.
“I put them away from me for so many years that I just wanted the legal system to do what it was supposed to do,” Smith said.
On the night of September 21, 2008, 19-year-old Will Smith, a Becker College athlete, was fatally stabbed after an off-campus college house party at 59 North Ashland Street.
Police say two groups of uninvited guests started fighting with each other.
As Will and others tried to get people out of the house, Will was slashed in the arm.
Up to fifty people ended up in the street, and that’s where Will was stabbed in the chest.
Worcester Police say detectives on the Department’s Unresolved Case Unit never stopped working on Will Smith’s case.
“We’re not going to stop. We’re going to put as much resources as we have into coming to a successful conclusion, one way or another. These cases are never going to be put on a shelf and not looked at again,” said Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier.
Marquis Brown was arraigned this week in Worcester Superior Court; he’s ordered held without bail.
He’ll be back in court next month.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2025 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
