In the early morning hours of January 15, 2021, the life of 24-year-old Xzavia Williams was tragically cut short in Mesa, Arizona. Responding to the sound of a gunshot they heard while conducting a nearby traffic stop, police discovered Williams with a fatal gunshot wound at an apartment complex located near University and Mesa drives. She was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The investigation into the young woman's death swiftly moved forward as homicide detectives obtained security
camera footage from the apartment complex. This crucial evidence captured images of a suspect, later identified as 34-year-old Cherdon Mitchell, and his vehicle. The video showed Mitchell holding a white Styrofoam cup, a detail that would prove instrumental in the case. Investigators located this same cup in a bush near the scene of the crime.
Further investigation uncovered additional surveillance footage of Mitchell and his vehicle at a nearby Circle K convenience store prior to the shooting. After five days, the DNA evidence collected from the Styrofoam cup was analyzed and provided a direct link to Mitchell. This, combined with his driver's license photo and vehicle registration matching the surveillance videos, led to a warrant for his arrest on a charge of second-degree murder.
Thirteen days after the shooting, on January 28, 2021, the pursuit of justice for Xzavia Williams led law enforcement to Frisco, Texas. There, U.S. Marshals, working in conjunction with the Mesa Police Department and other task forces, took Cherdon Mitchell into custody. He was subsequently held on a $500,000 bond.
