33-year-old Nickolis Williams of Wheaton is facing a potential sentence of up to 30 years in prison following his conviction for second-degree murder related to a fight in 2021 outside Odalis Restaurant in downtown Silver Spring.
The incident, according to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s office, involved Williams and 29-year-old Darcel Cole getting into a physical confrontation. Nearly ten months after the altercation, Cole succumbed to injuries sustained during the fight.
On December 18, 2021, in the early morning hours, Darcel Cole and companions were present at Odalis Restaurant at 8215 Georgia Ave. in downtown Silver Spring. Nickolis Williams arrived at the restaurant, leading to a dispute between Cole and Williams that escalated to a physical confrontation outside the establishment.
Surveillance footage captured the two men heading to a nearby parking lot where they engaged in a fistfight. Williams, being significantly larger than Cole and possessing boxing training, landed a punch that caused Cole to fall to the ground. Subsequently, Williams continued to strike Cole while he was on the ground, eventually stomping on Cole’s head multiple times as he lay motionless.
Following the attack, Williams appeared to examine Cole’s condition before fleeing the scene. He was later apprehended and initially denied involvement but eventually confessed to the assault. Authorities discovered incriminating evidence in Williams’s car, including clothing matching what he wore during the altercation and sneakers stained with blood that matched Cole’s DNA.
Emergency responders found Cole unresponsive with severe head injuries and subsequently transferred him to a nearby hospital. Despite medical efforts, Cole remained in a vegetative state for approximately nine and a half months before he died on October 5, 2022.
An autopsy confirmed that Cole’s death resulted from complications stemming from the head trauma inflicted during the fight, ruling the manner of death as a homicide.
Odalis Restaurant closed in 2022 and relocated to the District.
Williams, as per the terms of a plea agreement, could face a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. A sentencing hearing is set for May 30.
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