KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A Knoxville man who admitted killing an old friend with a sword in 2019 faces sentencing Thursday morning.
William A. "Billy" Benning, 31, submitted what's called a blind plea in May to second-degree murder in the killing of Collin Davis, who died from sword wounds during a violent confrontation in November 2019 at the victim's North Knoxville home.
Knox County Criminal Court Judge Steve Sword is set to impose sentence for Benning, originally charged with first-degree murder.
Knoxville police found Davis's body in the basement of his home on High School Road the night of Nov. 8, 2019. Davis, 29, had suffered many slashes and cuts and appeared to have been dead for a couple days.
The investigation showed Benning had nailed shut access to the basement after getting into the fight with Davis. He'd threatened to hurt Davis with a sword, according to police.
After the fight, witnesses saw Benning cleaning up "a large amount of blood."
In a pre-sentence report, Benning told Tennessee Department of Correction personnel he and Davis were old friends, having grown up next to each other.
According to his version of events, Davis was drunk and attacked him. They fought at the house.
Benning referred obliquely to the sword.
"There was a house full of people there and I guess both of our adrenaline started pumping and we got more excited and the fight continued to escalate," he told TDOC investigators.
"A sword got involved. There was a terrible accident and Collin was laying on the floor."
Benning said he and Davis knew Davis was mortally wounded.
"He says, 'Billy, I love you. I love you Billy.' He knew it was his last few moments.
"I said, 'I'm sorry, Collin. I started praying and he started praying with me. We asked God for forgiveness and for mercy and at this point I panicked and tried to run away from my problems. I was overwhelmed with grief," Benning said in his pre-sentence report.
He said he later tried to commit suicide.
No statements from the victim's family had been gathered and filed with the report when it was prepared this month.
Knox County prosecutors are asking the judge to consider several factors that would lengthen or enhance Benning's sentence including his criminal history and the cruel nature of the murder.
Benning has a lengthy criminal record dating to his late teens amassed in Knox, Loudon and Claiborne counties as well as in Volusia County, Fla., records state.
