Left: Naikishia Williams (Palm Beach County Jail). Right: Nia Williams (Bell & Clark Funeral Home).
A Florida mother has been indicted on a first-degree murder charge in the April beating death of her 7-year-old daughter.
The grand jury handed down the indictment on Thursday against Naikishia Williams, who turned 32 on Sunday. She”s accused of killing her daughter Nia Williams on April 28 in Riviera Beach. The indictment lists Nia’s cause of death as blunt force trauma to the abdomen. Cops arrested Williams on Friday and took her to the Palm Beach County Jail where she remains without bond.
Whytni Walker and Rebecca Finley, who helped care for Nia, spoke with local NBC affiliate WPTV following Williams’ first appearance hearing.
Finley said family had long tried to sound the alarm on Williams.
“She should have been in jail a long time ago,” she said.
Williams “caused the death” and it was “definitely abuse,” Finley said.
Finley told the outlet she contacted Florida’s Department of Children and Families nearly two weeks before Nia’s death because the girl was “very malnourished.” She expressed frustration nothing was done to prevent Williams from hurting Nia.
“There wasn’t one person who was not aware of this young lady being a dangerous mother,” said Finley.
DCF did not get back to WPTV on Friday and did not immediately respond to a message on Sunday from Law&Crime.
Walker and Finley said they won’t stop until they get justice for Nia.
“We can never get her smile back,” Walker said. “We can never talk to her again.”
Finley described Nia as a “fashionista” who loved to put on makeup.
Cops told WPTV more details about the case are expected to be released on Monday. Williams is next set to appear in court on July 28. She was assigned a public defender.
Walker and Finley said Williams’ other children are now being cared for by family members.
