A quiet Friday morning in a Thibodaux, Louisiana neighborhood was shattered by a brutal and senseless act of violence that claimed the life of 75-year-old Grace Owens. An African American woman known for her love of children and years of service at a local daycare and elementary school, her life was violently cut short on November 24, 2017. While taking out her trash on Midland Drive, she was shot in the back of the head.
Her daughter, Debra Owens, was inside the home and heard a sound
like a balloon popping. When she went outside to investigate, she was met with a horrific scene. She discovered her mother on the ground with her neighbor, 41-year-old Kai D. Williams, standing over her. What followed was even more disturbing; Williams then attempted to set Ms. Owens' body on fire with a propane burner while she was still alive. Debra immediately called 911.
When Thibodaux Police arrived, they found Williams in the act of trying to burn his neighbor's body. He was promptly arrested and taken into custody. Grace Owens was rushed to Thibodaux Regional Medical Center and later transferred to University Medical Hospital in New Orleans, where she ultimately succumbed to her injuries. The motive for this shocking crime remains unclear.
Kai D. Williams was charged with second-degree murder and booked into the Lafourche Parish jail with a bond set at $2 million. In the years following the incident, Williams underwent a series of psychological evaluations. In December 2022, a judge ruled him incompetent to stand trial, citing his inability to assist in his own defense. He was ordered to undergo further psychological treatment, with another sanity hearing scheduled for June of 2023.
