Naryssa Wright, a 26-year-old Black woman from Houston, Texas, was remembered by her family as a loving sibling, a caring mother, and a gracious daughter who adored music and people. Her father, Latherio, described the grief of her absence as a "really empty void." At the time of her death, Naryssa was the mother of a 5-month-old baby girl named Kai.
In the early morning of January 17, 2022, Houston police responded to a disturbance call at an apartment complex in the 300 block of West
Little York Road. Around 4:50 a.m., officers arrived to find Naryssa Wright and another victim, 21-year-old Malakai Williams, inside an apartment. Both had been shot in the head. Malakai, who was the nephew of Naryssa’s boyfriend, was pronounced dead at the scene. Naryssa was transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Her infant daughter was also inside the apartment during the attack but was physically unharmed.
The investigation revealed that a resident in the apartment complex heard gunshots and witnessed a man shoot Naryssa. The gunman then fired at the resident before fleeing the location. The witness was not injured. Investigators initially described the suspect as a man known as "Dre" but soon identified him as 20-year-old Dondre Williams.
In February 2022, authorities charged Dondre Williams with capital murder in the deaths of Naryssa Wright and Malakai Williams. After the charges were filed, he remained on the run, prompting Naryssa’s family to make a public plea. "We're asking him to turn himself in so we can get the answers that we need," her father said in an interview.
Dondre Williams was eventually apprehended and brought to trial. Prosecutors argued that he was the gunman who killed both victims. During the trial, it was revealed that Naryssa had been shot through the hand while trying to shield her baby. In December 2025, a jury found Dondre Williams, then 23, guilty of capital murder. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison, bringing the case to a close.
