A Houston jury has sentenced 23-year-old Dondre Williams to spend the rest of his life in prison after finding him guilty of capital murder in the Little York double killing, bringing a grim chapter of north Houston violence to a close. The case began on Jan. 17, 2022, when two people were shot inside a northside apartment. The victims were identified as 26-year-old Naryssa Wright and 21-year-old Malakai Williams. A baby who was inside the unit at the time was not hurt.
Verdict and sentence
Jurors returned a guilty verdict on Tuesday and handed down a life sentence, according to FOX 26 Houston. Prosecutors, including Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare and Assistant District Attorney Rebecca Marshall, argued to the jury that they had proven Williams was the gunman who killed Wright and Malakai Williams inside the Little York apartment.
What happened in 2022
Officers were called around 4:50 a.m. to an apartment in the 300 block of West Little York Road on Jan. 17, 2022, where they found both victims suffering from gunshot wounds, according to the Houston Police Department. The two were later identified as Naryssa Wright and Malakai Williams, as reported by the Houston Chronicle.
Prosecutors' remarks in court
"He took these two special people from all of us," Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare told jurors during closing arguments, according to a courtroom report. FOX 26 Houston reported it was in the courtroom when the sentence was delivered and said a release noted that Wright was killed while clutching her five-month-old child, after she was shot through the hand while trying to shield the baby.
Case status and next steps
Williams had been charged in the 262nd State District Court following the killings, according to Houston police records, and the jury returned its verdict this week. Authorities say the infant who was inside the unit at the time was unharmed and is not considered a suspect, according to the Houston Police Department's release.
