Jordan Williams, a 30-year-old Black man, was known by his family as part of an inseparable trio with his two sisters. Relatives lovingly called them "The Three Musketeers," a testament to the deep connection they shared. Their lives were tragically cut short in a single act of violence on April 29, 2020, inside their Jacksonville, Florida, apartment.
That morning, officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office were dispatched to the River City Landing apartments on University Boulevard in the Arlington area. A neighbor had called 911 around 7:30 a.m. to report a welfare check after hearing an argument and a loud noise. When police entered the apartment, they discovered a horrific scene. Jordan, his older sister Johnisha Williams, 33, and their younger sister Jamonica Williams, 28, had all been shot to death. One of the women was found near the front door, while the other two victims were located in other rooms of the residence.
The investigation quickly focused on 37-year-old Terrell Lewis, who was Johnisha's boyfriend and the father of her 8-year-old son. Lewis and the boy were missing from the apartment, which prompted authorities to issue an Amber Alert for the child. A few hours later, law enforcement located Lewis near Little Pottsburg Creek, not far from the crime scene. One of the victim's cars was found nearby, and the 8-year-old boy was recovered unharmed.
The child became a key witness in the case. He told detectives that he was in the shower when he heard gunshots. His father, Terrell Lewis, then came into the bathroom and rushed him out of the apartment. As they were leaving, the boy saw broken glass and one of the victims bloody and motionless. He said his father confessed to the killings, stating he did it because the siblings were "making jokes at him" and had "disrespected him." The children's mother, Kimberly Levens, later questioned how her children could have disrespected Lewis when he came into their home and took their lives.
Lewis was arrested and charged with three counts of second-degree murder. The investigation took an even darker turn when the 8-year-old witness provided information about another crime he had seen his father commit. Forty-one days before the triple homicide, on March 20, 2020, Lewis had been involved in a road rage incident. His son told police that his father became angry after another vehicle cut him off in traffic on Welland Road. Lewis then shot and killed the driver, 24-year-old Deja Daniels.
In August 2023, Terrell Lewis, then 39, pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree murder for the killings of Jordan, Johnisha, and Jamonica Williams. The plea agreement, which the Williams family approved, was made in part to spare his young son from having to testify at a trial. He was sentenced to 50 years in Florida State Prison for the triple homicide. Lewis also pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of Deja Daniels. In October 2023, he was sentenced to life in prison for that crime, a sentence to be served consecutively after he completes his 50-year term for the Williams family murders.
The murders left the Williams family and the Jacksonville community devastated. Kimberly Levens, who lost all three of her children in one day, took her grandson into her care. In the wake of the tragedy, she remembered her children as "good kids... wonderful." The case stands as a painful reminder of the far-reaching impact of domestic violence. As of October 2023, Terrell Lewis is serving his consecutive sentences in state prison.
