In the early morning hours of July 24, 2021, the life of 30-year-old Clifton Jamal Williams, a male resident of Lafayette, Louisiana, was tragically cut short. Williams was discovered deceased in the driver's seat of a vehicle in the 2100 block of the Northeast Evangeline Thruway, the victim of a fatal shooting. The Lafayette Police Department was called to the scene to investigate the homicide.
The subsequent investigation into Williams's death led to the arrests of several individuals.
Among those taken into custody were Jason Pradia, Junior, and Zaveon Willis. Two other suspects, who were 17 years old at the time, were also arrested in connection with the murder. All four individuals faced serious charges, including principal to first-degree murder, as the investigation into the shooting continued. Authorities believed they had apprehended all parties involved in the incident. In a turn of events, the charges against another individual, Wilbert Willis, were eventually dismissed in relation to Williams's death.
The trajectory of the case took a somber and unexpected turn with the death of one of the accused. In January 2023, Zaveon Willis, then 20 years old, was himself the victim of a fatal shooting in a separate incident in Lafayette. Following his death, the legal proceedings against him in the Clifton Williams case were dismissed. As of more recent reports, Jason Pradia Jr. was still awaiting trial for his alleged role in the homicide.
In a legal development that appears to be related to the death of a Clifton Williams, another man, Brendell Clay, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter in October 2024. As a result of his plea, Clay was sentenced to 25 years of hard labor.
