Brenda Williamson

Brenda Williamson was a dedicated security guard, a beloved wife of 28 years, and a cherished daughter, sister, and mother. The 50-year-old white female had spent two decades in the security profession, a job her family said she loved because it allowed her to meet new people. Her colleagues at Universal Protection Service remembered her as a "good officer." Brenda was known for her strong will, her kindness, and her love for animals, reading, and spending time with family. She and her father, Richard Thrift, shared a special bond, often working together to restore classic cars. She was married to Arnold "Arnie" Williamson Jr., and they had a son, Arnold "Willie" Williamson III. Her parents worried about her working overnight shifts and wouldn't rest until she called each morning to say she was safe.

In the early morning hours of Thursday, August 1, 2013, that call never came. Brenda was working her overnight shift as an unarmed, roving security guard, patrolling an office and commercial park off J. Turner Butler Boulevard and Interstate 95 on Jacksonville's Southside—an area her family considered one of the safest she had ever worked. Her shift was scheduled to end at 6 a.m. However, just before 5:40 a.m., police were called to a McDonald's on Bonneval Road, between I-95 and Philips Highway. There, they discovered Brenda in the driver's seat of her security vehicle, a pickup truck. She had been shot once in the upper body; her father later told reporters police said the bullet went through her heart. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office homicide unit immediately began an investigation. Detectives learned that the McDonald's was not part of Brenda's regular patrol route, and they worked to determine why she had stopped there. The restaurant's drive-through had been open all night, but no employees reported hearing any gunshots. Several witnesses who passed by told police they had seen Brenda in the truck but assumed she was asleep and did not raise an alarm. Investigators began interviewing witnesses and searching for surveillance video from the parking lot. The motive for the shooting was unclear, with police initially stating that robbery was a possibility, though they could not confirm it.

Brenda's murder left her family shattered. Her husband, Arnie, publicly pleaded for anyone with information to come forward. "I wish I was there to protect her, but I wasn't," he said. "Not knowing why they did it... Senseless killing." Her father expressed the profound pain of losing a child in such a violent manner, calling it "unreal." Brenda's sister, Sibyl Bernard, emphasized how harmless she was, noting that Brenda never felt the need to carry a gun. "She wasn't armed. She wasn't a threat to anybody," Bernard said.

In the months following the killing, Brenda's family and community activists worked to keep her case in the public eye, desperate for a break in the investigation. In December 2013, the group MAD DADS (Men Against Destruction-Defending Against Drugs and Social-Disorder) held a candlelight vigil at the site of the murder to honor Brenda and appeal for justice. Her husband spoke at the vigil, expressing his unending grief. "She was more than my wife," Arnold Williamson said. "She was my life. She was everything to me."

As of the latest reports, the murder of Brenda Williamson remains unsolved. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has not publicly identified any suspects or persons of interest in the years since her death. Her case is now considered a cold case, one of many that organizations like Project: Cold Case continue to track in hopes of one day finding a resolution for the families left behind. Authorities continue to ask for the public's help. A reward may be available for information leading to an arrest. Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 866-845-TIPS.