Murder charges dropped in Elgin man's stabbing death

ELGIN, Ill. (WLS) -- Murder charges have been dismissed against an Elgin man in the October 2014 stabbing death of a 21-year-old man.

William Donald, 18, of Elgin, had been charged with first-degree murder for stabbing Anthony Nunez to death Oct. 27, 2014.

Kane County State's Attorney Joe McMahon announced Tuesday that Donald was acting in self-defense when he fatally stabbed Nunez.

"William Donald was defending himself from an attack by Anthony Nunez. Once I reached that conclusion, it was clear that we cannot in good faith proceed with this prosecution," McMahon said. "I extend my sincerest condolences to Anthony Nunez's family. I have spoken with them about our decision, and understandably this was not welcome news to them. We took this case very seriously. A young man is dead, and we know how he died. It is not easy to walk away from such cases."

On the afternoon of Oct. 27, 2014, prosecutors say the victim and two friends approached the cleared suspect, who was with three friends, at Eagle/Burnridge Park in the 1800 block of Natchez Trace in Elgin. Prosecutors say Nunez and one of those friends had threatened Donald with a knife and robbed him at the same location about a month earlier.

Nunez intimidated Donald's friends into backing away, prosecutors say, verbally confronting Donald and then physically attacking him. During the attack, Donald pulled out a knife and stabbed Nunez multiple times, prosecutors said.

One of Nunez's friends stole Donald's backpack during the confrontation, prosecutors say.

Nunez was taken to an Elgin hospital, where he died from the stab wounds. Donald was subsequently charged with first-degree murder.

Prosecutors say in December, Donald's bail was lowered due the self-defense claims, and he was released under electronic home monitors. He has been free under the monitoring system ever since.

"As this investigation advanced, it became clear that Mr. Nunez initiated the violence, which resulted in his own death," McMahon said. "Mr. Donald was justifiably afraid of

Mr. Nunez and in fact began carrying a knife soon after Mr. Nunez and his friend robbed him a month earlier."