A 48-year-old man has been convicted of murdering his ex-wife and her son in their DeLand home.
On Friday, March 8, after a four-day trial, a Volusia County jury found Michael D. Williams guilty of two counts of second-degree murder with a firearm.
The fatal shooting occurred on September 18, 2022. Shortly before 8 p.m., Volusia County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to Williams’ home located in the 1300 block of East Parkway, in the Daytona Park Estates neighborhood, according to court records.
Williams had called 911 and admitted to shooting his ex-wife, 48-year-old Marsha Ebanks-Williams, and her son, 28-year-old Robert Adams.
According to the sheriff’s office, Williams had called 911 and claimed that he had shot his ex-wife and her son in self-defense. Upon arrival, deputies made contact with him as he was sitting in a vehicle parked in the driveway.
Williams surrendered and was taken into custody without incident.
When deputies entered the home, they located the bodies of Ebanks-Williams and Adams, and both were pronounced deceased at the scene. Adams’ two young children were also found in the house. They were unharmed during the incident.
According to detectives, Williams and his ex-wife had been involved in an ongoing dispute over domestic issues, including electrical power to the house. Despite being divorced in June of 2022, the couple were both still living together after 10 years of marriage.
In the months leading up to the fatal shootings, Williams and his ex-wife had called the sheriff’s office to document verbal arguments about the property and living arrangements. However, authorities stated that there were never allegations of domestic violence or verbal threats.
Williams told detectives that when he came home on the night of the incident, he got into a confrontation with his ex-wife. He claimed that the situation escalated, and the victims “attacked” him.
Williams further claimed that he shot the victims with his firearm in self-defense. He told detectives that he was attacked, held down, and punched repeatedly in the face during the argument, though the arrest report indicated that he did not have any apparent injuries that would indicate a physical altercation, other than a few superficial scratches.
While speaking with detectives, Williams admitted that neither of the victims had weapons on them or made verbal threats during the incident.
“(Williams) shot and killed a grandmother and father in front of their 5-year-old grandson/son and 6-year-old granddaughter/daughter,” said State Attorney R.J. Larizza. “It is inconceivable to imagine the hurt and grief those precious children will endure over the course of their lifetimes.”
This case was investigated by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, and it was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Mark Interlicchio.
A sentencing hearing for Williams will be scheduled at a later date. He faces up to life in prison.