A Vineland teen accused of fatally stabbing his neighbor in an ongoing dispute with the victim's wife has been indicted on charges of reckless manslaughter and aggravated assault.
Zachary Latham, 18, allegedly stabbed veteran corrections officer William Durham Sr. on May 4, after an altercation that began near the victim's home and ended in Latham's garage.
He is currently in jail in Florida, after an altercation with a motorist there in January. Latham was released on $40,000 bail, but was jailed again Feb. 4, after the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office successfully argued to revoke his release in the homicide case.
Latham had allegedly been harassing Durham’s wife for weeks when he tried to run down one of the Durhams' sons with his car while the teen was biking down the street.
That led to a verbal altercation. Latham drove home and the Durhams followed him, sparking the fatal fight.
Latham admitted going into his kitchen and arming himself with a knife and stun gun when he saw the the Durhams coming, according to the charges.
Latham swung the knife first at Durham’s son, William Jr., and missed, according to the report. When the father then approached Latham, he was struck in the right arm with the knife.
This sparked an altercation that included Latham’s friends Moses Rios and Dylan Aristy, the affidavits states.
Latham at one point used the stun gun on Durham Sr. , then stabbed him in the back and left underarm, according to the report.
Latham later admitted retrieving a second knife during the altercation.
Latham's wife, Sarah Latham. captured both the verbal and physical altercations on her cell phone, which was taken by investigators as evidence.
Latham is awaiting extradition back to Cumberland County.
Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae said her office "presented all applicable theories of homicide to the grand jury," who indicted Latham on the lesser second-degree charge of reckless manslaughter.
She said her office "must respect their decision."
Latham also was indicted on two counts each of second-degree aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, as well as one count of unlawful possession of a weapon.
