Influencer Zachary Latham has been sentenced to 12 years in prison and 15 years probation for attempted kidnapping in Florida six years after he was acquitted in a fatal stabbing.
Latham, 24, pleaded guilty to charges of attempted kidnapping, domestic battery by strangulation, criminal mischief less than $200, violating pretrial release and harassing a witness, People reported on Monday, July 27.
The charges stemmed from an August 2023 incident between Latham and a woman he dated, who accused him of strangling her and holding her hostage in her own car. The woman also claimed she was held hostage for a second time in the bathroom of the former influencer’s home less than a month later.
The woman claimed to be “in absolute fear that she was going to die,” People reported, citing booking documents from the Lee County Police Department.
Latham was arrested in October 2023 and charged with attempted kidnapping, domestic battery and criminal mischief. He was later charged with violating pretrial release and harassing a witness after he threatened to file charges against the woman if he didn’t drop the charges against him.
“ALL of our dirty laundry will be on TV,” prosecutors claimed Latham messaged the woman through a third party, according to CourtTV. “You will have to be present and get cross-examined. All of our secrets will be shown. Texts, sex life, personal s***, and it’ll just be a mess. I genuinely do NOT want to fight the woman I luv in court on TV.”
Back in 2020, when Latham was 18 years old, he stood trial in New Jersey on charges of second-degree manslaughter, aggravated assault and weapons charges in the death of his neighbor, William “Timmy” Durham Sr. The 51-year-old was stabbed multiple times in a confrontation that took place in Vineland, New Jersey.
Durham’s family reported to police before Latham’s arrest that he had allegedly been harassing the family and posting videos of them on social media, where he had 40,000 followers, after a confrontation over his alleged speeding. The Durhams claimed that Latham hoped to gain “TikTok fame” from the videos. One clip reportedly earned 3 million views.
The family later confronted Latham at his home, where video footage showed Latham holding a knife and stun gun, according to Court TV.
Latham claimed that he armed himself for a “mob attack.” As the altercation escalated, Durham was stabbed several times, including a fatal puncture to his lung.
A jury ultimately cleared Latham of all charges, determining he acted in self-defense.
