LANCASTER, PA — A Lititz man has been sentenced to spend between 18½ and 45 years in prison. Ethan Chin, 25, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to third-degree murder and illegal possession of a firearm, following the fatal shooting of 23-year-old William Deliz in September 2020.
Lancaster County Judge Merrill Spahn accepted the negotiated guilty plea, expressing his dismay at the senseless violence. “Nothing can change the tragedy of this situation,” Spahn said during the proceedings.
First Deputy District Attorney Cody Wade prosecuted the case, working closely with the victim’s family to determine an appropriate guilty plea. During the court proceedings, Wade extended his condolences to the victim’s family who were present in the courtroom. “I believe ultimately this is the best resolution for this case,” Wade stated.
The charges against Chin were filed in April 2022 by Lancaster City Bureau of Police Detective Ryan Burgett, following a detailed and lengthy investigation. The incident occurred on Sept. 2, 2020, when city police were called to a local hospital regarding a victim with multiple gunshot wounds. Deliz succumbed to his injuries three days later. The autopsy confirmed the cause of death as gunshot wounds, classifying the manner as a homicide.
Officers discovered that the shooting took place outside of a residence on East End Ave. in Lancaster city. Video evidence showed Deliz and two others at the location at least an hour before the shooting. Through witness statements and video footage, it was revealed that Chin was one of two passengers in a pick-up truck in the same area at the time of the shooting. Shortly after dropping off Chin, the driver heard gunshots and was later instructed to pick up Chin and drop him off at a motel. At the crime scene, police collected 11 9mm firearm shell casings.
Assistant District Attorney Caitlin Blazier also assisted in the successful prosecution of this case. This sentence highlights the severe repercussions of such violent and unlawful actions.
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