A Florida man was found guilty on Friday for the fatal shooting of his former wife and her adult son, a crime he committed in the presence of the son’s young children, according to the Volusia County prosecutors. The man, identified as Michael D. Williams, 48, had argued that he acted in self-defense when he killed Marsha Ebanks-Williams, 48, and Robert Adams, 28. However, the prosecutors noted that Williams’ injuries were minor, consisting of a scratch on his upper lip, an abrasion on his left knee, and light scratches on his torso. Williams also confessed that neither of the victims were armed or had threatened him verbally.
The deadly incident was reportedly triggered by a dispute over electricity usage in the house that the former couple shared. According to a press statement, a press conference, and a partially redacted charging affidavit, Chief Deputy Brian Henderson described the relationship between Ebanks-Williams and Williams as “toxic” in 2022.
The couple had been married for approximately a decade before their divorce in June 2022. The arrangement post-divorce was for Ebanks-Williams to sell the house and split the proceeds with Williams, who was permitted to live in the house until it was sold. However, the domestic situation was described as unstable by the deputies. Henderson reported that law enforcement had been summoned to the East Parkway residence in DeLand five times in 2022 alone. While there were disputes and arguments, none escalated to the point of arrests.
The prosecutors noted that the former couple had previously called the authorities to document their disputes, but there were no allegations of violence or threats. This changed after a prolonged argument over electricity usage in the house, which led to Williams claiming he killed the victims in self-defense.
However, authorities pointed out a contradiction in Williams’ post-Miranda interview. Williams claimed he asked the 911 dispatcher if he should re-enter the house to aid the victims, and was advised against it. However, the audio recording revealed that the dispatcher had asked Williams if he was willing to provide aid, to which he declined.