Wonell Jones sentenced to 45 years for Audora Williams' murder

Sentence imposed

Wonell Jones Jr. was sentenced to 45 years in prison on October 30 for the murder of Audora Williams in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Attorney's Office announced.

Superior Court Judge J. Michael Ryan also ordered five years of supervised release after imprisonment. A jury convicted Jones, 38, on July 16 of first-degree murder while armed and firearm offenses. [1]

Killing at Southeast apartment

Williams, 33, was killed at her Knox Place apartment on July 19, 2022. According to court documents reported by FOX 5 DC, Jones returned to the apartment after a grocery trip with one of her children. Surveillance footage recorded his arrival.

Eight children were inside the home. A temporary protective order prohibited Jones from being there or contacting Williams, and a hearing on the order was scheduled days later. The court documents described an argument followed by gunfire and Jones leaving the apartment, FOX 5 reported. [2]

Arrest and extradition

Jones was arrested in Florida on August 29, 2022, and extradited to Washington that October, according to the prosecutor's announcement. He has remained in custody since his arrest.

The Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zach Horton and Shaniqua Butler prosecuted it, the office said. [1]

Jury findings, protective order and legal status

The July jury found Jones guilty of first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and unlawful possession of a firearm. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said evidence placed Jones at Williams’s apartment and showed that he left after the shooting. Surveillance footage and the circumstances inside the apartment formed part of the government’s case. Because the conviction followed a trial, the sentence came after jurors resolved guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The judge then considered the statutory punishment, the parties’ submissions and the trial record. The 45-year term was imposed for the combined judgment announced by prosecutors, followed by five years of supervised release if Jones completes the prison term. The temporary protective order barred Jones from Williams’s residence and from contacting her. The killing occurred before the scheduled hearing on that order. Prosecutors and the reporting cited the order to explain why Jones’s presence at the apartment was prohibited and to establish the relationship history preceding the shooting. Williams’s children were in the apartment when she was killed. Public reporting did not identify the children, and their names are not necessary to describe the prosecution. Jones was later located in Florida, arrested and returned to the District of Columbia. The sentence concluded the trial-court punishment phase, but Jones retains the ordinary right to seek review. The public announcement did not identify a ruling on any appeal. The Metropolitan Police Department conducted the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office handles most adult felony prosecutions in Washington, and its release credited Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zach Horton and Shaniqua Butler. [1] [2]