Unsolved: The murder case of 72-year-old Elizabeth Williams

Seventeen years after the brutal murder of an elderly Vicksburg woman, her family continues to seek justice.

72-year-old Elizabeth Williams was retired and living in Warren County, often working on the weekends at a store out of town.

A late night in January changed everything when someone entered her mobile home on Greenhill Road and took her life.

Although no one was ever arrested for her murder, Williams’s family believes they know exactly who is responsible for her death.

“I’ve done so much digging that I know who was involved and I know what was done to her,” Williams’s great-grandson Kyle Mullen said.

Speculation:

According to her family, Williams was having trouble with a group of individuals around town about a crime that was committed. Her home was broken into twice just shortly before her death and her firearm was stolen. One man was arrested for the burglary.

A few members of the group that Williams had trouble with are linked to being family members of powerful people who have lots of influence around Vicksburg.

The person that Mullen believes is responsible for Williams’s death is currently serving time in the Mississippi Department of Corrections.

The murder:

It was determined that Williams was murdered in January of 2006.

“She was first brutally beaten within an inch of her life, she was stomped in the face and the chest and had her throat cut from collarbone to collarbone,” Mullen said. I’ve been told that they attacked her the first time but for whatever reason, they went back and realized she was alive, and that’s when he slit her throat.”

After the murder:

Shortly after the murder, Williams’ vehicle was found outside of a motel, in possession of the man who allegedly was responsible for breaking into her home before her death. The man was found along with a close friend who Williams also had issues with before she died.

The man was not charged with anything but his bail was revoked for a previous crime. He was eventually sent to prison for the same type of crime that Williams knew he committed against another individual.

He remains in prison today.

The crime scene:

Williams was found with her throat slashed and badly beaten, and also her long fingernails were missing, forcing Mullens to believe that his great-grandmother fought during the struggle and had her killer’s DNA underneath her fingernails.

“The death certificate said she has defensive posturing which basically tells me that she was down on her knees with her hands over her head begging for her life,” Mullen said. I can’t imagine the fear she suffered and I want him to feel the same way.”

A table was also missing from the crime scene, which was where Williams was found laying.

“She was where the table would’ve been kinda sprawled out but kinda propped up where she could bleed out of her neck, and it was like she was reaching for the phone.”

The phone cord was also cut and the table was never recovered.

Mullen also speculated that there was blood on the headrest of Williams’car but once they received it back, the headrest was missing.

About the suspects:

Mullen suspects that all the individuals that Williams had trouble with, killed her in order to silence her about the crime she knew about. Allegedly shortly before her death, they told her about their crime and later feared that she would talk.

One of the alleged individuals who were inside the home during the murder was arrested for being in possession of Williams’ gun which was reported as stolen.

Years later:

Over a decade passed and Williams’ murder was never solved but her family continued to seek answers.

One day Mullen came across one of the people who he believed was involved in his grandmother’s death, and that person allegedly confessed everything to him and told him who was involved.

Since no one has been arrested for Williams’ murder, her family has fought to get the Warren County Sheriff’s Office to close the case so they could hire a private investigator to take over.

“I had the pleasure of speaking to Stacy Rollison last year and she’s the only one who has been upfront with me and took me serious in 17 years,” Mullen said.

The man that Mullen suspects killed his great-grandmother is set to be released from prison(for a previous crime) in a few years.

“Just tell me the truth, and let me know so that I can go to sleep,” Mullen said.

“Do the right thing and find it in your heart or whatever God you believe in to let him come into your heart and issue you forgiveness and wash away that transgression.”

“How anyone can sleep at night know they done that to someone defenseless has to be the biggest burden I can imagine carrying so do the right thing and confess.”

Williams’ murder remains unsolved and the case is still open.

If anyone information on the case, they can call the Warren County Sheriff’s Office 601-636-1761.

To this day, Mullen continues to suffer the harsh reality of losing his great-grandmother.

”She was my great-grandmother yes, but she was my mother and I have so much love for that woman and I regret that day,” Mullen added.