Two men were convicted on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025, of third-degree murder for the December 2022 killing of Clifton “CJ” Burgess-Williams Jr. in Morrisville.

Following a two-week trial, a Bucks County jury found that Breon D. McRae, 34, of Morrisville, and Pacqi S. Lassiter, 29, of Trenton, N.J., conspired to kill Burgess-Williams, 26, of Morrisville, on Dec. 22, 2022.

Burgess-Williams, the brother of McRae’s former girlfriend, was sitting in a parked vehicle on Lenora Avenue with his sister, brother, and friend when eight shots were fired, striking him and endangering the others in the car.

Jurors deliberated for a day and a half before finding McRae and Lassiter guilty of third-degree murder, conspiracy to commit third-degree murder, conspiracy to commit possession of an instrument of crime, conspiracy to commit reckless endangerment and three counts of reckless endangerment. McRae was also convicted of terroristic threats and simple assault.

In two other cases, McRae was convicted of witness intimidation, strangulation, simple assault and harassment. Following the conviction, Common Pleas Judge Charissa J. Liller deferred sentencing until March 14 for a pre-sentence investigation.

"I commend the prosecution team for securing murder convictions against the men who conspired to take a life of “CJ” Burgess-Williams," District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said. "CJ was heroic in that he was a man who was protecting his sister from domestic violence. His commitment to his sister’s safety unfortunately put him in the crosshairs of two men who completely disregarded the value of his life."

"His family remains in our thoughts as we prepare for sentencing. Our continued goal is to obtain justice for CJ and to make sure that the community is safe from these defendants."

Likening the case to a puzzle, Deputy District Attorney Megan K. Stricker and Deputy District Attorney Chad Kovack presented testimony from more than 20 witnesses, law enforcement and forensic experts during the trial and introduced hundreds of pieces of evidence that included physical evidence, video surveillance and data from cellphones and cell towers.

“Even if you are missing a piece, you still know what the puzzle shows,” Stricker said in her closing argument on Thursday. And what it showed, she said, was that McRae and Lassiter intentionally killed Burgess-Williams.

The investigation by Bucks County Detectives and the Bucks County Investigating Grand Jury was painstaking. Investigators were able to build a timeline of events that began on Dec. 16, 2022, when McRae assaulted and then strangled his girlfriend Alana Burgess-Williams during a fight at McRae’s home on Wilk Street in Morrisville. She said the assault nearly caused her to pass out.

Six days later, on Dec. 22, 2022, McRae confronted his girlfriend’s brother, Clifton Burgess-Williams, to get him to forgive him for the assault on his sister. The confrontation didn’t go as planned and McRae punched Burgess-Williams in the face during the assault.

Later that night, Clifton Burgess-Williams and his brother went to McRae’s home to confront McRae, but McRae would not come out of the house and made threats through a window.

The two brothers left and went to their home on Lenora Avenue.

Evidence presented during trial showed that McRae then placed an 80-second phone call to Lassiter, a friend of his who he has also identified as his marijuana salesman and a cousin. Surveillance footage presented during trial showed Lassiter’s SUV heading from New Jersey to McRae’s home, almost immediately after the call.  Surveillance footage and cellphone data also showed the two men headed to Lenora Avenue.

At Lenora Avenue, Clifton Burgess-Williams was sitting inside a parked car with his sister, brother and friend when shots fired at them at 8:39 p.m., killing Clifton Burgess-Williams who was in the front seat.

McRae arrived at work at 9:35 that night, more than an hour and a half late. During the trial, testimony was presented that he attempted to have his manager change his clock-in time to 8 p.m.

McRae was arrested in January 2023 and charged with the assault on his girlfriend. While awaiting trial, he called his girlfriend from the Bucks County Correctional Facility, urging her to avoid detectives and not go to the preliminary hearing.  

The murder of Clifton Burgess-Williams was presented to the Bucks County Investigating Grand Jury, and they recommended charges in June 2023.

The investigation into this case was led by Bucks County Detectives Timothy Johnson and Dante Montella, and the case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Megan K. Stricker and Deputy District Attorney Chad Kovack.

Media Contact: Manuel Gamiz Jr., 215.348.6298, mgamiz@buckscounty.org