On October 8, 2014, a young woman's life was tragically cut short in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Christian Colette Shockley, a 24-year-old female and a member of the Muscogee Nation, was shot and killed at the Colonial Park Apartments. Witnesses at the apartment complex described a grim scene, stating they saw a man drive up in a pickup truck, get out, and fire the fatal shots before quickly leaving.
The incident was not a random act of violence; Shockley knew her attacker.
The relationship between Shockley and the man identified as the suspect, 37-year-old Erik Williams, had recently ended. Neighbors reported that the couple had a history of domestic disputes, with some having witnessed them fighting in the front yard. This history of violence culminated in the tragic events of that October day. After the shooting, Williams fled, prompting a manhunt. Investigators found his abandoned truck at a nearby apartment complex.
A multi-state effort involving law enforcement agencies from Oklahoma, Utah, and Nevada led to the capture of Erik Williams. On October 21, 2014, he was arrested without incident at a casino in West Wendover, Nevada. In the course of their investigation, police discovered drugs and guns in Williams' vehicles. Williams was subsequently charged with first-degree murder for the death of his ex-girlfriend.
Erik Williams was convicted for the murder of Christian Shockley and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. However, in a later legal development, his state conviction was vacated due to a Supreme Court ruling, McGirt v. Oklahoma, which addressed jurisdictional issues concerning crimes involving Native American citizens on tribal land. Following this, federal charges were filed against Williams for first-degree murder in Indian Country. He later pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of second-degree murder in federal court.
