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The Columbia Police Department's four-page probable cause statement against 31-year-old Montez Williams is heavily-redacted (November 17, 2022 photo from 939 the Eagle's Brian Hauswirth)

Court documents indicate a child was inside vehicle, when Columbia woman was killed

The Columbia Police Department’s four-page probable cause statement against 31-year-old Montez Williams is heavily-redacted (November 17, 2022 photo from 939 the Eagle’s Brian Hauswirth)

Columbia’s assistant police chief tells 939 the Eagle that Sunday night’s murder of a woman on Blue Ridge road is domestic-related. That word from assistant chief Jeremiah Hunter.

Meantime, the suspect in the case has made his initial arraignment, via video. 31-year-old Montez Lee Williams is charged with first degree murder for the death of April Joann Brooks of Cuba, Missouri. She was found shot to death in a running vehicle.

939 the Eagle News has obtained the heavily-redacted probable cause statement in the case, which indicates Brooks was shot to death late Sunday night and that her vehicle ran all night with the lights until about 6:45 am, when a concerned citizen called 911.

Security video obtained from a home in the Blue Ridge area shows a muzzle flash before two people are seen exiting the vehicle, according to the probable cause statement. One of them is carrying a small child, court documents say.

CPD’s probable cause statement quotes Williams as admitting he shot the victim to death. Williams is also quoted as telling detectives that he threw the silver handgun he used to kill April Joann Brooks out the window, as CPD officers were pursuing his vehicle down Clark lane.

Williams has multiple criminal convictions and legally could not possess a firearm. Williams appeared in court for his initial arraignment on Wednesday afternoon.

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