In the early hours of October 18, 2013, the life of 29-year-old Michelle Williams was tragically cut short in Hampton, Virginia. Responding to a 911 call just after midnight, police discovered her body in the front yard of a residence on Greenbriar Avenue. She had sustained multiple gunshot wounds to her upper torso and was pronounced dead at the scene.
An investigation later revealed the brutal nature of her death; she had been shot six times, with four bullets striking her chest and arms, and two to the back of her head.
The ensuing investigation by the Hampton Police Department led them to a man who was initially considered an eyewitness, Kenard M. Collins. However, the narrative of his involvement shifted dramatically as the case unfolded. Prosecutors would later describe the crime as a profound betrayal between two people who had a long-standing friendship. Evidence presented during the trial painted a grim picture of a friendship that ended violently.
On September 3, 2014, authorities served indictments on Kenard Collins, then 28 years old, charging him with murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Investigators determined that Williams had been visiting an acquaintance at the Greenbriar Avenue residence earlier in the evening. She later returned, and a verbal altercation with Collins escalated, culminating in him displaying a firearm and shooting her.
During his trial, the prosecution presented a compelling case, and after a short deliberation of only 45 minutes, a jury found Kenard Collins guilty of first-degree murder and the associated firearm charge. On April 8, 2015, he was sentenced to life in prison plus an additional three years, bringing a measure of justice to the family and friends of Michelle Williams, who was remembered as a loving mother to her daughter.
