The prosecution called multiple witnesses, including a murder defendant’s son, then resting their case in a trial before DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan on July 14.
Wonell Jones Jr., 38, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior crime of violence, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 33-year-old Audora Williams, who is the mother of two of his children.
This incident occurred on the 2900 block of Knox Place, SE, on July 19, 2022. According to court documents, Williams sustained 52 gunshot wounds or defects.
The prosecution continued questioning Jones’ son who began his testimony on the previous day of trial. The witness was one of eight children in the apartment during the time of the incident. According to his son, Jones and his children had spent two weeks living at Williams’ apartment leading up to the shooting.
The witness was shown two videos of an individual entering Williams’ apartment complex on different days and identified the man in the video as his father. He also recalled a history of arguments between Jones and Williams, calling them “world-class arguers.”
“It hadn’t escalated this badly before, that’s why I was a bit frightened,” the witness said in reference to a fight between Jones and Williams on the day of her death.
Jones’ son said he did not see the shooting himself.
When asked by the prosecution if he was happy to be in court, the witness responded, “To be honest, no.” This was the first time the witness had been in a courtroom with his father, Jones.
The prosecution also called a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective, who was assigned to investigate a destruction of property and unlawful entry incident that took place at Williams’ residence on May 28, 2022. The detective had obtained CCTV footage of the hallway of Williams’ apartment building on May 27 and 28, 2022, which the prosecution played for the court.
According to the detective, in the surveillance video from May 27, 2022, an individual paced in the hallway outside Williams’ apartment for an hour before entering. The detective said the suspect was inside the apartment for 24 minutes and then left, running down the hall.
The footage from May 28, 2022 showed the same suspect on the phone in the hallway outside Williams’ apartment. The man then kicked down the apartment door and entered.
According to the detective, he identified the suspect in the footage as Jones.
On cross-examination, the detective admitted that someone without a key to a home could plausibly wait outside until they were let inside. Defense attorney Megan Allburn suggested the individual in the footage from May 27, 2022 may have been waiting in the hallway until someone opened the door for him.
A crime scene investigator from the MPD was also called to the stand. Four swabs of DNA were taken from two firearms and two magazines found at the crime scene.
The swabs were then sent to a forensic DNA analyst, who the prosecution called to the stand.
The prosecution presented a PowerPoint to inform jurors of the logistical steps and terms used in DNA analysis, as well as the outcomes from the DNA testing in this case.
On two of the swabs, the analyst said there was “very strong support” for Jones’ DNA presence on the firearm. One of the magazine swabs was unable to be analyzed, as it was below the limit of detection, and the other magazine swab was “one sextillion times more likely” to include Williams’ DNA presence, according to the analyst.
During cross examination, Allburn asked about touch DNA, which is the transfer of DNA from one person or object to another person or object. The analyst confirmed that although blood and saliva tend to yield more DNA, it is possible to get the full DNA scale from a single skin cell.
The prosecution called the forensic pathologist from the DC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) who conducted Williams’ autopsy to the stand. The doctor said she identified 52 bullet wounds or defects on the victim and found 16 projectiles or fragments lodged in Williams’ body.
The prosecution presented a diagram of Williams’ body taken from the autopsy report, along with several photos of gunshot wounds in Williams’ arms, shoulders, upper chest, abdomen, and legs. The doctor also identified a fracture in an X-ray of Williams’ left arm near the shoulder, which she said was most likely the result of a bullet striking the bone.
The doctor determined Williams’ cause of death to be multiple gunshot wounds and the manner of death to be homicide. According to the doctor, other than the bullet wounds and defects, the only injuries on Williams’ body were scrapes on the chin.
While cross-examining the doctor, Jones’ other attorney, Steven Kiersh, confirmed that she could not determine the sequence in which the injuries to Williams’ body occurred or if any one gunshot caused her death.
The prosecution then rested their case.
Parties are slated to reconvene on July 15 for closing statements.
