In the late morning of a Tuesday in Selma, Alabama, the life of Otis Donnell Carter, a 38-year-old Black man, was brought to a violent and tragic end. On January 10, 2023, at approximately 10:30 a.m., in the Selmont area at the intersection of Highway 80 and County Road 56, an altercation escalated to a fatal shooting. Carter was discovered at the scene by responding officers from the Selma Police Department and the Dallas County Sheriff's Office, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
The investigation into the city's first homicide of the year quickly led to a suspect. Authorities identified 49-year-old Steven Williams as the individual involved in the dispute with Carter that preceded the deadly shooting. Williams was subsequently located and taken into custody by the Selma Police Department. He was later transported to the Dallas County Jail, where he was formally charged with the murder of Otis Donnell Carter. A bond was set at $1.5 million.
In the days that followed, the community mourned the loss of the man many knew by the nickname 'Yeek.' His funeral service was held on Saturday, January 21, 2023, at the Ward Chapel AME Church, with Reverend Dexter Patterson officiating. He was laid to rest at Serenity Memorial Gardens, leaving behind a grieving family and a community searching for answers. The case against Steven Williams is set to proceed through the Dallas County legal system.
