Not-guilty plea in fatal Capitol Hill stabbing

The man accused of stabbing Shannon Harps to death outside her Capitol Hill apartment on New Year's Eve has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder.

The attorney for James Anthony Williams, 48, an ex-convict with a long history of mental illness, said after Tuesday's arraignment that it was too early to say whether she will request that Williams be evaluated for mental competency. Williams is being held in the King County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail.

He could face 25 to 33 years in prison if convicted of the killing.

According to charging papers, Williams saw Harps, 31, walking alone on a Capitol Hill street around 7 p.m. Dec. 31 and began following her. As Harps reached the stairwell outside her condominium building, Williams allegedly began stabbing her. A witness saw her stumble from the stairwell moments later and called 911.

Williams had been released from prison in 2006 after serving an 11-year sentence for randomly shooting a man at a bus stop. He had a host of violations in the 20 months between his release from prison and Harps' slaying, but despite concerns from judges, social workers and parole officers, he was a free man the night she was killed.

Nancy Mattson, William's attorney, said she would need to speak with her client and study his history before deciding whether to request a mental-competency evaluation at Western State Hospital. She said Williams understands the charge against him.

"He's understandably upset about it," she said. "The gravity of the circumstance is weighing on him."

During his arraignment, Williams wore a jail-inmate uniform bearing the words "ultra security inmate." The judge prevented the media from photographing his face.

Mattson maintained that the identity of the attacker is still in question. But Senior Deputy Prosecutor Scott O'Toole disagreed, saying after the arraignment, "the evidence is pretty compelling."

Williams told detectives that Harps was merely "in the wrong place at the wrong time," according to charging documents. Police said that Williams' DNA matched that found on the knife recovered near the crime scene.

Natalie Singer: 206-464-2704 or nsinger@seattletimes.com