BUNNELL — David Williams testified at his son’s murder trial July 16 that he had just left his home in Bunnell to go to work at his landscaping business two years ago when he heard a scream.
The 81-year-old Williams said he didn’t think much of it; he would hear hollering on occasion in the neighborhood.
Then he turned a corner and saw his son, Jermaine Williams Sr., and his son’s wife, Yolonda Williams.
“He had blood on him. She had blood on her,” David Williams testified. “I said this must be a dream or a joke.”
But it was no joke.
Jermaine Williams Sr., 54, is on trial charged with first-degree murder in his wife’s death. If convicted as charged, he could face the death penalty.
Jermaine Williams Sr. stabbed his 50-year-old wife multiple times outside their home at 408 S. Pine St. in Bunnell, about 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 2, 2024, according to court records.
Father of Jermaine Williams Sr.: ‘He had a knife in his hand at the time’
David Williams testified he lived on Cherry Street near his son and daugher-in-law and his routine was to drive down their street as he left for work.
Assistant State Attorney Jason Lewis, who is prosecuting the case along with Assistant State Attorney Helen Schwartz, asked him what he saw as he made the turn onto Pine Street.
“Well, it’s not nothing you enjoy talking about,” David Williams said.
Lewis said he understood and asked him to continue.
On that morning, as he made the turn, he saw his son and daughter-in-law.
“Well, he had a knife in his hand at the time,” David Williams said.
He said he saw his son stab Yolonda Williams one or two times.
He said his grandson was trying to stop his father.
David Williams said Jermaine Williams Sr. kept pushing the grandson away with one hand while holding on to Yolonda Williams with the other hand.
David Williams said he asked what was going on. Then he told Jermaine Williams Sr. to get away from Yolonda Williams.
But Jermaine Williams Sr. didn’t get away.
David Williams said he then went to his truck and got his handgun.
He said he pointed the gun his son.
“I told him to back away from her right now,” David Williams testified.
Lewis asked him if he told his son he would shoot him if he didn’t.
“I didn’t have to tell him. He already knew,” David Williams replied.
He said his son followed his command and backed away, walking into the house.
David Williams said he didn’t know what his son was doing inside the house or whether his son was getting a gun.
David Williams said he told his grandson to get behind him.
He said Jermaine Williams Sr. walked out of the house and said to him: “‘Well, you going to let my son see his mom suffering like that.'”
Lewis asked his response.
“He’s the cause of it,” David Williams said.
He said Yolonda Williams was still alive.
During cross examination, defense Attorney Anthony Eric Leonard, who along with Junior Barrett, is representing Jermaine Williams Sr., asked David Williams about his son saying he was tired.
David Williams said Jermaine Williams Sr. said it two or three times.
Leonard asked how he appeared physically that day. After an objection by the state and a sidebar, Leonard rephrased the question asking him what he observed when he saw his son.
“Can’t explain it. It was something different,” David Williams said.
After he was done testifying, David Williams walked down the center aisle to leave the courtroom and walked by the defense table. Jermaine Williams Sr. looked toward him and nodded.
David Williams, holding his left hand low at his side, made a thumbs up sign.
In the afternoon, a crime scene technician testified via Zoom about collecting some of Yolonda Williams’ clothing, including a bloody bra and black shirt with holes in it. She also testified about a large kitchen knife found in the driveway next to Yolonda Williams’ car.
Investigators also found a bloody phone and keys, as well as broken fingernails — two black and white fingernails and a pink fingernail — from Yolonda Williams.
Neighbor describes attack on woman in Bunnell
A neighbor, Corinthians Watson, said he heard a voice and looked outside his house
“I saw her on the ground and him standing over her,” Watson said.
Watson said Jermaine Williams Sr. was moving an arm in a stabbing motion.
Assistant State Attorney Helen Schwartz had Watson step down from the witness stand. Schwartz sat on the floor and she asked Watson to show jurors how Williams Sr. was holding his wife.
Watson held Schwartz with his left hand while making stabbing motions downward with his right hand.
Watson also had a camera, not the usual security camera. He was using a baby monitor as his security camera.
Prosecutors showed video, which had been zoomed in from that device. The video showed a person making stabbing motions as another person sat or moved on the ground. The person on the ground would kick their legs up at times. The video showed the standing figure move behind the person on the ground and appeared to put one arm on them while swinging their other arm up and down.
Prosecutors also showed a zoomed-in video from a city camera down the street. The video showed a figure rapidly approaching another who had been standing by a car. The figure by the car quickly backs up and then the two figures merge in the road.
Stab wounds would have been painful, medical examiner testifies
Medical Examiner Dr. Wendolyn Sneed testified that Yolonda Williams’ cause of death was multiple stab wounds. She suffered wounds to her neck, left side of her chest and 10 to her back. She also had defensive wounds on an arm and on her hands.
Sneed said several of the wounds were potentially fatal.
She said the stab wounds would have been painful.
Lewis asked her to read some notations from a report.
A paramedic noted the victim was alert at 8:30 a.m.
A notation five minutes later read “pain.”
Five minutes later Yolonda Williams was noted as “unresponsive.”
The trial continues on July 17 when the defense is expected to present its case.
— Frank Fernandez covers courts and criminal justice in Volusia and Flagler counties for The Daytona Beach News-Journal.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Bunnell man testifies he ordered son at gunpoint to stop stabbing wife
Reporting by Frank Fernandez, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
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By Frank Fernandez, Daytona Beach News-Journal | USA TODAY Network
