In the quiet evening of April 1, 2025, James Williams, an 80-year-old male, was enjoying the familiar comfort of his front porch on Avenue E in Baton Rouge, a place where he had lived for more than six decades. A beloved figure in his community, affectionately known as 'Uncle Pig,' Williams was a man who family and neighbors remember as a pillar of the community, someone always ready with a laugh or a helping hand.
His home was a welcoming spot for many, a place to gather and share a moment of peace.
The tranquility of that evening was shattered around 7:45 p.m. in a senseless act of violence. A man, later identified as 39-year-old Daniel Westley, allegedly drove to Williams' home, calmly walked up to the porch, and fired a gun, fatally wounding the elderly man. Williams died at the scene, leaving a community in shock and a family heartbroken by the sudden and brutal loss of their patriarch just a month after his 80th birthday. The brazen nature of the attack, targeting a well-known and loved community member in his own sanctuary, sent ripples of fear and disbelief through the neighborhood.
The Baton Rouge Police Department's Homicide Division immediately launched an investigation into the fatal shooting. Their efforts quickly led them to a suspect. On April 2, 2025, detectives arrested Daniel Westley in connection with the murder of James Williams. Westley, who lived only a few blocks away from his victim, was taken into custody and booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. He faces charges of first-degree murder and illegal use of a weapon. Authorities have indicated that there appears to be no prior association between Westley and Williams, and the motive for the shooting remains unclear. Westley is reported to have an extensive criminal history, including a previous arrest for murder which was later dismissed.
