A Lafayette man has been sentenced to 60 years in prison for attempting to murder his ex-girlfriend and kidnapping his daughter, 16th Judicial District Attorney Bo Duhé announced today.
On November 21, 2021, just after midnight, St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Deputies responded to a report of shots fired in Bayou Vista. Neighbors led them to an apartment where they found the victim shot in the head. As medical personnel worked to save the victim, deputies learned that the victim's 18-month-old daughter had been taken from the residence.
An Amber Alert was issued, and Derrick Lee Williams, Jr. - the ex-boyfriend of the victim and the father of the child - was quickly identified as a suspect. Within twenty-four hours of the shooting, one of Williams' family members returned the child to law enforcement; however, it took a multi-agency effort to locate and apprehend Williams.
According to Duhé, the investigation revealed that the victim had full custody of the child, in part due to previous incidents of domestic violence. In addition, the victim had just told Williams that she was in a new relationship. Williams had another girlfriend drive him to Bayou Vista, where he armed himself with a rifle. He then went to the victim's apartment where he forced her to call her new boyfriend and tell him that she could no longer see him. Williams then forced the victim to her knees, shot her in the head "execution-style," and left with the child.
Williams was charged with attempted second degree murder and second degree kidnapping. Williams pled guilty to those charges on November 9, 2023.
A sentencing hearing was held before the Honorable Lewis Pitman, Jr. on February 5, 2024. The victim testified at the sentencing.
Judge Pitman sentenced Williams to forty years at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence for the attempted second degree murder conviction. For the second degree kidnapping conviction, Judge Pitman sentenced Williams to twenty years at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence. The sentences will run consecutively.
“This victim experienced horror and trauma that is unimaginable, yet she miraculously survived and is thriving," said Assistant District Attorney Heather Hendrix. "She, her daughter, and her family are amazing people who are warriors for victims of domestic violence. Please seek help if you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence. Contact your local law enforcement agency or family violence crisis center.”
In St. Mary, Assumption, Iberia, and St. Martin Parishes, Chez Hope assists victims of domestic violence; their crisis hotline number is 1-888-411-1333 and their website is www.chezhope.org.
Assistant District Attorney Heather Hendrix prosecuted the case. The cases were investigated by the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Lafayette Police Department, the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Louisiana State Police, the United States Marshal’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Acadian Ambulance and the Acadiana Criminalistics Laboratory.
