Dad of slain Indiana tourist Ethan Williams said son would have befriended his killer

The heartbroken dad of an Indiana tourist gunned down on a Brooklyn stoop said Friday his son would’ve tried to befriend the killer if he hadn’t opened fire. 

Just moments after William Freeman, 26, pleaded not guilty to a second-degree murder indictment in the killing of Ethan Williams, 20, outside his Bushwick Airbnb on Oct. 23, 2020, the victim’s father was asked about his slain son. 

“He would’ve invited that guy onto the stoop to hang out if he had not shot at him,” Jason Williams answered when asked how he wants his son remembered. 

“He would’ve wanted to been his friend.” 

Ethan had been living out a lifelong dream to visit the Big Apple and was in town to produce a skateboarding film when he was fatally shot while sitting on a stoop with friends outside his rented Airbnb.

Freeman managed to evade cops for more than two years before they finally busted him Nov. 3 after a car in which he was riding was stopped by police, prosecutors said.

He allegedly confessed to the crime when he was in custody and told cops he mistook Ethan and his buddies for a group that killed his cousin a few weeks prior. 

Outside court, Freeman’s lawyer Jay Schwitzman said his client gave a “false confession” and was allegedly coerced into admitting the crime after police promised he could go home if he divulged what had happened.

“My position is that this is a false confession. Once I get the details and look at it, I am confident that at the end of the day, you will see that promises were made, either on the record or off the record, to induce him to make false statements,” said Schwitzman.

He also questioned the strength of other evidence against his client.

“They say that this is such a strong case, yet two years went by and there has been no arrest of my client until (last week), so that’s another factor we will be looking at in the course of this investigation,” the defense lawyer said.

“There is no explanation as to why. If they have such a strong case, why did they not arrest him in the two-year period that this incident took place? So I will be looking at that as well as the false confession.”

Ethan’s parents said they are eager for justice. 

“It’s all just really sad. We miss Ethan, we’re looking forward to justice,” said Ethan’s mom, Susan Williams.

“He was a good kid. He didn’t deserve any of this.” 

Freeman was indicted on murder and weapon possession raps last week and was remanded to Rikers Island during the brief arraignment on the charges, where he made no comments beyond answering yes-or-no questions. 

“Ethan Williams was a kind and compassionate young man who had his whole life ahead of him,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a statement.

“His visit to New York City was the culmination of a lifelong dream and his untimely and unnecessary death is horrific and heartbreaking.” 

Freeman’s relatives didn’t comment on the case. He’s due back in court Feb. 23.