In a tragic turn of events at a family gathering in Lexington, Mississippi, Fay Ann Noel, a 58-year-old female, lost her life on the night of May 24, 2014. Noel, who served as a warden at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman for approximately 25 years, was fatally shot in the chest. The incident occurred around 11:40 p.m. on Queenie Johnson Road in Holmes County, disrupting what was meant to be a joyous family occasion.
The perpetrator was identified as Noel's 25-year-old
nephew, Kenneth Lee Williams. Witnesses reported that a dispute between Williams and his uncle, Simmy Noel, preceded the fatal shooting. The argument began when Simmy suggested that Williams's son was in need of medical attention, leading to an altercation that moved outside. Though the initial conflict seemed to de-escalate, Williams reportedly retrieved a 20-gauge shotgun from his vehicle.
As Fay Ann Noel and her brother Simmy stepped outside to investigate after hearing a gunshot, Williams aimed the weapon directly at his aunt. Despite Simmy's attempts to intervene, Williams fired the fatal shot, striking Noel in the chest as she stood in the doorway of the home. Following the shooting, Williams fled the scene.
Williams was later apprehended when a relative took him to a hospital for what appeared to be a drug overdose. He was subsequently charged with murder. In February 2020, a Holmes County Circuit Court jury convicted Kenneth Williams of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole or early release. Williams later appealed his conviction, arguing that improper hearsay was used as evidence and that his Fifth Amendment right not to testify was commented on during the trial. However, his appeals were unsuccessful, and his conviction and sentence were affirmed.
