5 chilling details about Amanda Williams's murder

The heinous murder of Amanda Williams rocked the Warrensville Heights community and sparked indignation from her family and supporters. Amanda Williams was a 46-year-old beloved hairstylist, mother, and member of her church who was shot and killed by her fiancé, Tirrell Edwards, in their residence on October 9, 2023.

An argument that began as a domestic dispute (resolving differences over furniture) culminated with Edwards shooting Williams three times, thereby creating a void in her family, and reconciling the urgency for awareness of justice for victims of domestic violence.

Edwards initially claimed self-defense, but was later found guilty of murder, felonious assault, and domestic violence. The shooting was undertaken under the conditions of a domestic violence incident.

5 chilling details about Amanda Williams's murder

1. Amanda Williams was shot multiple times, including in the neck and back

As the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office explains, Edwards fired six shots into Amanda Williams, creating eight gunshot wounds in total. One of the gunshot wounds in particular would leave Williams paralyzed from the neck down, physically unable to defend herself against Edwards, or even hold the knife that Edwards claimed she used to threaten, according to the Prosecutor's Office.

Amanda Williams was shot multiple times (Image via Unsplash)

2. The fatal shooting was recorded on video

Prosecutors said Edwards did record a shaky cellphone video that included the sounds of the deadly encounter, but which did not include any video of the shooting. However, the audio was introduced as evidence.

Assistant Prosecutor Kevin Filiatraut explained that at no point in the video did Edwards attempt to de-escalate the situation. "He never once in that video did he say, 'I've got your gun, please stop,'" he explained in court, according to cleveland.com.

3. Edwards prevented Amanda’s daughter from giving aid

At the time of the shooting, Williams's daughter, Tyler Williams, and Tyler's four-year-old daughter were home. Investigators would also later learn that Edwards not only provided zero medical attention to Williams after he shot her, but also stopped Williams's daughter from providing needed aid to her mother, according to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office press release.

4. Edwards gave conflicting stories to the police

Edwards told investigators contradictory statements in the wake of the killing. Initially, Edwards said after he was arrested, that he moved his guns to prevent himself from using them on Williams.

An imagery crime scene (Image via Unsplash)

He then said Williams was holding him hostage, and he feared she would use the weapons against him. These contradictions were presented at trial as undermining his self-defense argument, as reported by Cleveland.com.

5. The case only moved forward after public pressure

As reported by News 5 Cleveland, although he admitted to killing Williams, Edwards was released initially because the prosecutor's office indicated that there was "insufficient evidence" at that time. Edwards's case became active only after several weeks of public pressure from Williams's family, church members, and sorority sisters.

A grand jury returned an indictment against Edwards in early November, and Edwards went into custody. On March 4, 2024, Tirrell Edwards was found guilty by a jury on the following charges: Two counts of murder, two counts of felonious assault, and one count of domestic violence

Edwards was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 24 years.

About the author

Preethika Vijayakumar is an Entertainment writer at Sportskeeda with a keen interest in pop culture. Although a law student, her curiosity about the world and passion for writing inspired her to explore and analyze the complex narrative and diverse character arcs that define the daily soaps.

With experience as a legal content writer, Preethika also achieved a notable accomplishment as her work was published in a book about criminology and victimology. As a fellow binge-watcher, Preethika aims to provide insightful analysis based on her firsthand viewing experiences, ensuring accuracy and relevance in her writing.

Outside of professional endeavors, she enjoys reading, playing guitar, and creating ceramics. Her favorite celebrity is Jensen Ackles, and if given the opportunity, Preethika would love to be a part of his show, Supernatural, although she isn’t sure she could last until the end.

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Edited by Bharath S