In the cold, early hours of January 8, 2019, the life of Jermaine Williams, a 23-year-old Black man from Vernon, Connecticut, came to a tragic end. His body was discovered around 3:30 a.m. on a stretch of Route 2 in East Hartford. A state Department of Transportation worker stumbled upon the scene on the westbound Exit 4 off-ramp, where Williams was found lying partially in the roadway.
State Police were quickly on the scene, and it was immediately clear that this was no accident.
Paramedics who arrived could do nothing for the young man and pronounced him dead at the scene. The investigation into his death was swiftly classified as a homicide. The state’s Medical Examiner’s Office later confirmed the violent nature of his death, determining that Jermaine Williams had died from gunshot wounds to his head and torso. The discovery prompted the closure of the highway off-ramp for several hours as detectives from the State Police Central District Major Crimes Squad began the painstaking process of gathering evidence and piecing together the final moments of Williams's life.
In the days following the discovery, details emerged about Williams's recent past. He had a criminal record and had recently finished a 25-month prison sentence for a 2016 conviction on a weapons charge. Vernon police had arrested him after finding a loaded pellet gun in his possession during a traffic stop. Investigators have appealed to the public for any information that might lead to a breakthrough in the case, asking anyone with knowledge of the incident to contact them.
Despite the ongoing investigation by the Connecticut State Police, the case has grown cold. To date, there has been no public announcement regarding any suspects or arrests made in connection with the murder of Jermaine Williams. His death remains an unsolved homicide, leaving his family and community searching for answers and justice that have yet to come. The investigation remains open, with authorities still seeking the crucial piece of information that could finally bring his killer or killers to light.
