Florida prosecutors have announced their intention to pursue the death penalty in the case of a mother accused of killing her seven-year-old daughter. Naikishia Williams, 32, is charged with first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse following the death of her daughter, Nia Williams, on April 28. Williams was indicted in June, and the state argued on Monday that her alleged actions warrant capital punishment.
Prosecutors have outlined several aggravating factors in their case against Williams. They allege that the murder was “particularly heinous, atrocious, or cruel,” and that Williams acted “in a cold, calculated, and premeditated manner without any pretense of moral or legal justification.” They also noted that Nia was under 12 years old and that Williams held a position of familial or custodial authority over her.
An eight-page arrest affidavit provides a heartbreaking account of Nia’s life and death. It alleges that Williams abandoned her at the hospital after her birth, leading to Nia being placed in foster care for six months. She was then cared for by Rebecca Finley and her daughter, Whytni Walker, who had been looking after Williams’ other three children.
The affidavit further alleges that Nia suffered serious injuries whenever Williams had custody of her. In April 2021, Nia was hospitalized for a broken femur and a laceration on the back of her head. Williams allegedly neglected to have the staples removed from Nia’s head, resulting in skin growing over them. In September of the same year, Nia suffered a broken arm, and in 2022, she was treated for multiple burns from boiling water.
According to the police, Williams regained custody of her children in 2023 after completing a parenting program. Finley claimed that Williams was a drug addict who took out her frustrations on her children, with Nia bearing the brunt of her anger.
Nia’s teacher told detectives that the girl had missed approximately 50 days of school during the 2024-2025 academic year. When she did attend, she often wore dirty clothes. Despite this, her teacher described her as “brilliant and sweet.” Williams reportedly ignored calls from school officials expressing their concerns about Nia’s wellbeing.
The affidavit also details the events leading up to Nia’s death. It alleges that Williams became angry with Nia for not cleaning up spilled cereal, forcing her to lie on the ground while she stomped on her stomach. Williams then allegedly made Nia clean up the mess and kicked her in the stomach for not moving quickly enough.
On the day of Nia’s death, her sister found her barely breathing. However, Williams allegedly waited four hours before calling 911. When paramedics arrived, Williams suggested that Nia might be overdosing on medication. However, doctors later found no medication in her system. Instead, they discovered that she had a lacerated liver, was in renal failure, and that her large intestines were detached from her abdomen.
Nia was pronounced dead at around 11:15 p.m. on April 28. Her death was ruled a homicide. Following Williams’ first court appearance, Finley and Walker spoke to local media, describing Nia as a “fashionista” who loved makeup. They expressed their determination to seek justice for Nia and their frustration that more was not done to protect her.
Williams is scheduled to appear in court again on August 13.