In the late afternoon of a September day in Macon, Georgia, a dispute over a mere twenty dollars between cousins would tragically escalate, leaving one man dead and a family grappling with a loss that would linger for years. On September 28, 2019, Willie Green Smith Jr., a 62-year-old man, found himself in a heated argument with his 57-year-old cousin, Michael Williams. The disagreement, which began inside a home, spilled out into the street on the 400-block of Ibex Street.
As the confrontation intensified, Smith attempted to get into his vehicle. It was then that Williams allegedly pushed him before fatally shooting him. When law enforcement arrived at the scene around 5 p.m., they discovered Smith on the ground, unresponsive but still breathing. Despite the efforts of emergency responders, Willie Green Smith Jr. succumbed to his injuries. The alleged shooter, Michael Williams, fled the scene in his truck but was apprehended by authorities less than an hour later.
Michael Williams was subsequently charged with murder and taken to the Bibb County jail, where he was initially held without bond. In a turn of events that brought further anguish to Smith's family, Williams was released on bond on March 27, 2020. He has claimed that he acted in self-defense.
Years have passed since that fatal day, and the wheels of justice have turned slowly for the family of Willie Green Smith Jr. As of late 2025, a trial date had yet to be set, leaving his widow, Fay Ellis-Smith, and their family in a prolonged state of uncertainty. The case reportedly stalled after a judge deemed the credibility of Williams' witnesses to be lacking. Prosecutors have indicated a need for additional testimony to move forward, prompting pleas from Smith's family for any witnesses to come forward with what they saw. The family remembers Willie, a master welder by trade, as a generous man, and they continue to seek closure and the full story of what transpired on that tragic afternoon.
