In the summer of 2021, a domestic tragedy unfolded in South Bend, Indiana, ending the life of a young mother. Macirra Marie Williams, a 22-year-old female, died on Saturday, July 24, 2021, from a gunshot wound she sustained the previous evening. The incident occurred around 6:45 p.m. on Friday, July 23, 2021, at the Waterford Glen Apartments on Woodfield Avenue.
When South Bend Police officers arrived at the apartment she shared with her boyfriend, they found Macirra in the bedroom with a gunshot wound to her neck. She was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery but ultimately succumbed to her injuries.
Present at the apartment at the time of the shooting were Macirra's boyfriend, 24-year-old Demarice Williams, and their three children. Demarice Williams was arrested at the scene, initially on a preliminary charge of aggravated battery. Following Macirra's death, the charge was upgraded to murder. Although they shared the same last name, the couple was not married.
The investigation into Macirra's death revealed a history of conflict. On the day of the shooting, Macirra had told co-workers that Demarice had drained their bank account and that she intended to confront him. A neighbor also reported hearing a loud argument from the couple's apartment shortly before the police arrived. During forensic interviews, two of the three children told investigators that they saw their father shoot their mother after an argument. A semiautomatic handgun was recovered from near the bed.
Demarice Williams provided a different account of the events to investigators. He claimed that he and Macirra had been 'play fighting' in the bedroom when she asked him to put his gun away. He alleged that as he went to put the gun in the closet, he stumbled, and in an attempt to catch the falling weapon, he accidentally caused it to discharge, striking Macirra in the neck. However, investigators found that the physical and ballistic evidence at the scene did not support his version of the story.
In October 2023, a jury found Demarice Williams guilty of murder with a firearm enhancement. On December 12, 2023, he was sentenced to 55 years in prison for the murder of Macirra Williams, with an additional 10-year enhancement for the use of a firearm. Macirra was remembered for her bright smile and energetic spirit, and as a loving mother to her three children, Dreyon, Maleah, and Demetri.
