>> NEW ON NEWS 4 JAX AT 6 O’CLOCK FAMILY MEMBERS TELL US TO LIA WILLIAMS IS THE WOMAN
WHO WAS FOUND SHOT TO DEATH OF
THE WEST SIDE PARK. THIS POKE
OF FLOWERS. NOW MARKS THE PLACE
WHERE HER BODY WAS FOUND.
♪
HER DEATH MARKS THE 100 62ND HOMICIDE HERE IN JACKSONVILLE. SO FAR
THIS YEAR THAT COUNT TIES THE
NUMBER OF ALL THE HOMICIDES
LAST YEAR AND WE STILL HAVE
MORE THAN A MONTH TO GO.
THIS IS SKY 4 VIDEO OF THE
SCENE OF THE CITY’S LATEST
♪
SHOOTING DEATH.
>>TOM WILLS: FAMILY MEMBERS
TELL US TO LEAH WILLIAMS WHO
WAS FOUND DEAD AT NORMANDY PARK
HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET AWAY
FROM
AN EX-BOYFRIEND.
>>MARY BAER: OUR NEWS 4 JAX
TEAM IS LOOKING INTO THE CITY’S
DISTURBING HOMICIDE TREND WE
START WITH REPORTER
JIM PIGGOTT WHO JUST SPOKE WITH
A FAMILY MEMBER OF TO LIA
WILLIAMS JIM.
>> YOU KNOW THE FAMILY IS
DISTRAUGHT OVER THIS DAY WERE
OUT HERE THIS MORNING, I’M AT
NORMANDY PARK. THE MOTHER WAS
OUT HERE THIS MORNING WHERE SHE
WAS GOING TO PICK UP
TALIYAH WHO WAS COMPLAINING
ABOUT HER BOYFRIEND AND THE
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE THAT HAD
HAPPENED FOR ABOUT A YEAR NOT
JUST A SHORT TIME AGO.
MY COLLEAGUE CORLEY PEEL JUST
SPOKE TO HER UNCLE IN PERSON AT
HIS APARTMENT ON THE WEST SIDE
ABOUT THIS YOUNG WOMAN AND THE
ORDEAL THAT SHE HAS BEEN GOING
THROUGH. HERE’S WHAT HE’S
TELLING US.
>> AND WHAT DO YOU HOPE CAN
HAPPEN NOW.
>> WHAT I HOPE TO HAPPEN NOW IS
THAT.
♪
THAT. ♪ PEOPLE WHO DO
SEE THIS READ ABOUT THIS STUDY
UNDERSTAND IT WITH
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. DID YOU SEE
TO GET AWAY FROM THAT PERSON
DOESN’T GET INTO SOMETHING
HAPPENS YOU NEED TO LET PEOPLE
KNOW
ABOUT IT. PEOPLE LOVE YOU TAKE
CARE YOU BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW
HOW FAR THINGS
TO GO. IT IS ONE THING WE
LEARNED
♪
LEARNED ♪ TODAY IN THE HOPE THAT NO OTHER
FAMILY HAS TO GO THROUGH
ANYTHING LIKE THIS.
>> LET ME TAKE YOU THROUGHHAT HAPPENED HERE AT 10 O’CLOCK THIS MORNING. WITNESSES IN THE
AREA HEARD ONE GUNSHOT AT THAT
WE UNDERSTAND ACCORDING TO
POLICE TALIYAH WAS SHOT AND SHE
WAS KILLED HER AT
THE PARK. NOW ACCORDING TO HER
FAMILY SHE HAD CALLED HER
MOTHER EARLIER TO COME AND PICK
HER UP OR SHE WAS TRYING TO GET
AWAY SHE CAME HERE TO THE PARK
APPARENTLY HER CAR HAD BROKE
DOWN. AND THAT’S FOR BOYFRIEND
CAME HERE. NOW POLICE WERE
SAYING TODAY WHEN THEY WERE
HERE THAT THERE IS A PERSON OF
INTEREST THAT THEY’RE TALKING
TO NOT A SUSPECT IN THIS CASE
AT THIS POINT
THAT THEY FOUND HIM ABOUT A
MILE FROM HERE AT THE PARK WE
WERE AT THAT SCENE TO THEY
FOUND SOME EVIDENCE THEY ALSO
FOUND A GUN, NOT ON
THE PERSON
BUT NEARBY AS WELL THEY’VE NOT
RELEASED THIS MAN’S NAME THE
WE’VE HEARD THROUGH THE FAMILY
WHO HE IS BUT WE’RE NOT
RELEASING AT THIS POINT NO
CHARGES HAVE BEEN FILED
AND AGAIN WHEN THAT SHOOTING
TOOK PLACE HERE AT THE PARK
THERE WERE NO KIDS IN
THE PARK, JUST SOME WITNESSES
AND WORKERS IN THE AIR I DID
TALK TO SOME PEOPLE IN THE AREA
WHO HEARD THE ONE SHOT CAME OUT
HERE WERE SURPRISED TO SEE THAT
NOBODY WAS RUNNING BUT THEY
WERE SHOCKED TO LEARN THAT THE
WOMAN HAD DIED. AGAIN WE’RE
GATHERING MORE INFORMATION MY
COLLEAGUE CORD CORLEY PEEL
WE’LL HAVE MORE ON THIS TONIGHT
AT 10
BUT THAT’S THE SITUATION HERE
AT THE PARK WE’RE LIVE ON THE
WEST SIDE. JIM PIGGOTT CHANNEL
4 THE LOCAL STATION.
>>MARY BAER: JIM THANKS WE HAVE
HEARD AGAIN AND AGAIN FROM THE
MAYOR THE SHERIFF AND THE STATE
ATTORNEYS ABOUT THEIR
FRUSTRATION WITH THE STAGGERING
RATE OF HOMICIDES HERE IN
JACKSONVILLE. THE NUMBERS SPEAK
FOR THEMSELVES, SO FOR THE CITY’S EFFORTS TO REVERSE THE TREND OF NOT PRODUCED MUCH
PROGRESS.
>>TOM WILLS: JOINING US TO OUR
CRIME AND SAFETY EXPERT RETIRED
JACKSONVILLE POLICE OFFICER KEN
JEFFERSON, HE IS AT THE SCENE
OF THIS LATEST HOMICIDE THAT
NORMANDY PARK N
FROM WHAT WE’VE LEARNED THIS
WAS A CASE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
WHICH WE KNOW FROM YOUR
EXPERIENCE IS PARTICULARLY
DIFFICULT A PARTICULARLY
DIFFICULT CRIME TO PREVENT.
>> YES, THAT’S CORRECT. AND LET ME JUST FIRST SAY MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO THIS
FAMILY AND THIS
HORRIFIC DEATH OF THEIR LOVED
ONE FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS
ONE OF
THE MOST VIOLENT AND INTIMATE
TYPE OF CRIMES THAT IS VERY
DIFFICULT TO PREVENT BECAUSE
YOU CAN BE THERE CAN BE THERE
IN ADVANCE IS NO PROACTIVE.
ENFORCEMENT THAT YOU CAN DO TO
TRY TO PREVENT THIS SORT OF
THING SO THE HONEST FALLS ON
THE VICTIM TO TRY TO GET OUT OF
A RELATIONSHIP IF THEY
SEE THAT IS IT’S NOT WORKING OR
PARDON IS VIOLENT. IF THERE ARE
SIGNS OF A VIOLENCE THERE
OR ABUSE. IT’S ON IS CALLED
UPON THE VICTIM TO GET OUT AND
NOW THAT’S EASIER SAID THAN
DONE.
BUT POLICE HAVE TO BE REACTIVE
IN CASES LIKE THIS BECAUSE IT’S
THE WAY THEY CAN PREVENT IT
FROM HAPPENING.
>> IT’S JUST SO SO VERY
FRUSTRATING FOR ALL INVOLVED
CAN AND THEN TURNING
TO THE STREET HOMICIDES THAT
ARE UNSOLVED SO MANY
OF THEM GO UNSOLVED CAN CAN YOU
GIVE US YOUR INSIGHT ON THE
FRUSTRATION OF INVESTIGATORS
WHEN THEY ARE UNABLE TO GET
COOPERATION FROM CITIZENS, WHAT
VALUABLES INFORMATION THAT
COULD LEAD TO ARRESTS.
>> YES AND I’VE SAID IT TIME AND TIME AGAIN AND I’LL SAY IT AGAIN THE POLICE CANNOT STOP
THESE CRIMES. THESE TYPE OF
CRIMES HOMICIDES AND THINGS OF
THAT NATURE IT WITHOUT THE
COOPERATION FROM
THE COMMUNITY IS A MUST THEY
MUST HAVE THE COOPERATION OF
COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT
AND THE WAY YOU HAVE THE
COOPERATION IS YOU HAVE TO
BUILD THAT TRUST IS SOMETHING
THAT YOU HAVE TO CONTINUALLY
WORK ON THE BILL THAT TRUST YOU
HAVE TO GET OUT AND MEET THE
PEOPLE GET OUT AND GREET THE
PEOPLE BE THERE FOR THEM WHEN
THINGS ARE CALM AND THINGS ARE
NOT GOING ALREADY.
YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO
ESTABLISH THAT RELATIONSHIP AND
WHEN WHEN CRIMES LIKE.
HOMICIDES HAPPENED WITHIN OUR
CITY. WE CAN GET MORE
COOPERATION FROM THE COMMUNITY
AND DON’TS THIS RULE DOESN’T
REALLY APPLY WHEN YOU WHEN YOU
HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH
YOUR COMMUNITY.
>>TOM WILLS: MANY OF THESE
HOMICIDES CAN ARE IN THE CITY’S
MOST DISADVANTAGED
NEIGHBORHOODS AND THERE ARE
THOSE WHO ARGUE THAT UNTIL
SOMETHING
IS DONE TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY
OF LIFE IN THOSE COMMUNITIES,
VIOLENT CRIME WILL CONTINUE
UNABATED HAS THAT BEEN YOUR
EXPERIENCE IS A LONGTIME
RESIDENT HERE.
>> AS A GREAT QUESTION TIME AND
THE SOCIAL ECONOMIC.
ISSUE IN THESE COMMUNITIES HAVE
A LOT TO DO WITH THE BOOKS
POVERTY HAS A
DIRECT LINK. TO CRIME TO
VIOLENT CRIME IS THAT AS WELL
AS YOUR
OTHER CRIMES. SO UNTIL THOSE
COMMUNITIES ARE BROUGHT UP
UNTIL OPPORTUNITIES AND
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, IT IS
IS EQUAL. IN THOSE AREAS WE’RE
GOING CONTINUE TO SEE THIS
TREND BECAUSE THE A LOT OF
THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE
COMMITTING THESE CRIMES FEEL
THAT THEY HAVE NO OTHER.
OPTIONS TO DO WITH WHICH THEY
DO WE KNOW THAT THEY DO, BUT
THEY DON’T EXERCISE THOSE
OPTIONS. BUT A LOT OF TIMES THE
OPPORTUNITIES ON THERE FOR THEM
LIKE IT IS IN OTHER
COMMUNITIES. WE JUST
ARE TALKING.
>>MARY BAER: TOO LONG HAVE
HELPED US KEN JEFFERSON THOUGH
WE APPRECIATE OF COURSE YOUR