District Attorney J. Collin Sims reports that on Friday, October 9, 2026, a St. Tammany Parish jury found 22-year-old Deanthony Ashawn Williams of Slidell, Louisiana, guilty as charged on all counts in connection with a November 2022 fatal ambush shooting. The Honorable Judge Richard Swartz presided over the trial. Assistant District Attorneys Christina Fisher and Taylor Nicholson prosecuted the case for the State.
Williams was convicted of:
- Second Degree Murder
- Attempted Second Degree Murder
- Attempted Armed Robbery
Sentencing is scheduled for December 9, 2026, before Judge Swartz. Williams faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.
The convictions stem from an investigation conducted by the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office (STPSO) into a shooting that occurred on November 28, 2022.
On the evening of November 28, 2022, STPSO deputies responded to reports of gunfire on Northwood Drive in Slidell. Upon arrival, deputies located a black Ford Fiesta that had collided with a white Ford F-150. Inside the driver’s seat of the Fiesta, deputies found a 19-year-old male victim suffering from fatal gunshot wounds. The victim died from his injuries on the scene. A second victim, an 18-year-old male, was found in a nearby driveway, also suffering from a gunshot wound; he was transported to a local hospital in critical condition.
Investigators recovered numerous shell casings from two different firearms at the scene. Through witness interviews, social media analysis, and confidential tips, detectives determined that the victims had traveled to Northwood Drive under the premise of a marijuana sale. Upon their arrival, Williams and his 15-year-old co-defendant approached the vehicle with hooded sweatshirts and handguns drawn, demanding their belongings. When the driver-victim accelerated to escape the ambush, both assailants opened fire into the vehicle.
In the days following the shooting, Williams bragged about the incident to acquaintances, sending text messages explicitly referencing the crime. During trial testimony, Williams admitted that when people accused him of the murder, he "didn't deny it," and acknowledged texting a friend, “I'm finna go to jail fa murder."
The surviving victim testified during trial regarding the ongoing toll of the attack, sharing, "A lot of trauma brought to me, a lot of mental, and a lot of physical pain."
In closing arguments, ADA Taylor Nicholson emphasized the defendant’s premeditation and callous demeanor, referencing a text message where Williams asked a friend prior to the murder, "Do u know any licks I can hit" and another to a girlfriend the day after the murder asking, "If sb kill another person then laugh about it is that evil"
"That's how you tell intent, ladies and gentlemen," ADA Nicholson told the jury. "I'm finna take someone's son, taking shots, pre-gaming a murder."
Concluding the state’s rebuttal, ADA Fisher thanked the jury and acknowledged, “When you go into that room to deliberate, you will have a hard job. It should be hard to take someone’s liberty. The problem is that it wasn’t hard for Deanthony Williams to take a life. He rapped about it beforehand and laughed about it after.”
District Attorney Collin Sims commended the hard work of the prosecution team and law enforcement partners in delivering justice for the victims and the St. Tammany Parish community:
"This was a senseless, cold-blooded act of violence driven by greed and a complete disregard for human life. The defendant chose to ambush two young men, attempt to execute a violent robbery in the dark of night, and brag about taking a life as if it were a point of pride. Thanks to the meticulous work of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office and the dedicated prosecution by ADAs Christina Fisher and Taylor Nicholson, Deanthony Williams will now be held accountable for his actions. Our thoughts remain with the family of the victims as they continue to cope with the profound loss and physical and emotional trauma caused by this heinous crime."
Charges against co-defendant Corda Williams remain pending, and his trial date has not yet been set.

































