Hearing for fatal stabbing of Mt. Airy man and beloved Roxborough synagogue member delayed

A defense request for a continuance will delay the preliminary hearing — originally scheduled for Wednesday morning — in the case of a Mt. Airy man who was fatally stabbed in his home on Sept. 30.

Police announced on Oct. 2 that they had arrested and charged 33-year-old Mt. Airy resident Jonathan Williams in connection with the slaying of Ronald Fischman, a poet and editor who was a beloved member of Roxborough’s Mishkan Shalom synagogue. 

When the arrest was annouced, Mishkan Shalom’s lead rabbi, Shawn Zevit, told NewsWorks that Fischman, an ordained cantor, was an integral part of the synagouge community and an activist for causes he believed in — like climate change and voter engagement. 

“It is a terrible loss. There is a lot of shock and grief. He was a very beloved member of our community,” Zevit said.

Williams is being charged with murder, burglary and other related offenses for the crime that took place on the 200 block of E. Phil Ellena St.

According to a report in the Inquirer, witnesses at the scene reported that they’d seen Williams leaving the 54-year-old victim’s home on the night of the murder before police arrived.

According to court records, Williams aka William James, has served time in connection with a guilty plea to conspiracy charges in a 2011 burglary case and was sentenced to two years of probation in connection with a 2012 shoplifting charge.

Williams was awaiting an Oct. 14 probation-violation hearing at the time of Fischman’s killing.