On New Year's Day in 2014, the body of 34-year-old Tamila Wooley, a female, was discovered in her Walker, Louisiana, apartment. Her boyfriend found her in the master bedroom of the residence, located in an apartment complex off Village Drive. Tragically, Wooley's two younger children, an 11-year-old autistic son and a 2-year-old daughter, were present in the home when their mother's body was found.
The investigation quickly focused on Wooley's eldest child, her 17-year-old son, Edward
Island III. Witnesses reported seeing him coming and going from the apartment around the time of the murder. He was later apprehended while driving his mother's vehicle. During questioning, Island confessed to the crime, admitting he had shot his mother. He told investigators that on December 29th, he began to think about things his mother had done, went downstairs, and shot her twice with a shotgun he had borrowed a week prior with the intent to kill her.
After the murder, Island covered his mother's body and went about his normal activities for a couple of days. He informed his younger half-brother that their mother was ill and should not be disturbed, and he continued to care for his siblings by changing diapers and preparing meals. Following his confession, Edward Island III was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.
In October 2017, just as his trial was scheduled to begin, a 21-year-old Edward Island III pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of his mother, Tamila Wooley. As a result of his guilty plea, he was sentenced to life in prison with the department of corrections.
