A Washington, DC man has been sentenced to 45 years in prison for murdering the mother of his children in an apartment where eight children were present.
Wonell Jones Jr, 38, was sentenced on Friday after being convicted of first-degree murder while armed, possessing a firearm during a crime of violence and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
DC Superior Court Judge J Michael Ryan ordered Jones to serve five years of supervised release after his prison term. He was found guilty on 16 July 2026. ([justice.gov](https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/previously-convicted-dc-man-sentenced-45-years-2022-murder-his-childrens-mother?utm_source=openai))
The case relates to the death of 33-year-old Audora Williams, who was shot more than 20 times at her home in the 2900 block of Knox Place, south-east Washington, on 19 July 2022.
Prosecutors said Jones returned to the flat after going grocery shopping with one of Williams’s young sons. Three of Jones’s children, three of Williams’s children, and a toddler and baby shared by the couple were inside.
Jones was subject to a temporary protective order preventing him from contacting Williams or entering the property. A hearing on the order had been due to take place days after the shooting.
Evidence presented by the government showed Jones closing the door to Williams’s bedroom before arguing with her and accusing her of cheating. Gunshots were then heard, with Jones firing additional rounds before leaving the flat and fleeing.
Surveillance footage captured him entering the building with Williams’s child. Investigators said two firearms were used in the attack.
Jones was arrested in Florida on 29 August 2022 and extradited to Washington, DC, on 26 October that year. He had remained in custody since his return.
US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said Williams’s killing was “an act of violence as staggering as it is senseless”.
“The defendant fled, but he did not outrun justice,” she said. “His capture and return to the District make clear that those who commit this level of brutality will be held to account.”
Interim Metropolitan Police Department Chief Jeffery Carroll joined the sentencing announcement. The case was investigated by the department and prosecuted by assistant US attorneys Zach Horton and Shaniqua Butler. ([justice.gov](https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/previously-convicted-dc-man-sentenced-45-years-2022-murder-his-childrens-mother?utm_source=openai))
