Family pleads for help from the public

By Eloria Newell James, community@leadercall.com

HATTIESBURG May 09, 2008 09:34 am

— Mother’s Day is Sunday and the daughter of a Wayne County woman is pleading to the public for help in finding her mother’s killer.
Rena Wishum and her family conducted a press conference at the Mississippi Highway Patrol’s Hattiesburg Office Thursday to bring attention to the need for public help in finding information about the death of her mother, Janie Broadway Williams.
“One shot and she was gone,” Wisham said as she wiped tears. “It’s not fair. Sunday is Mother’s Day and I don’t have a mother.”
Law enforcement agencies have teamed up to assist the Wayne County family in getting the public’s help in finding out details concerning the March 6 murder of Williams, who was killed in her home.
Williams was murdered at around 1 a.m., the morning of Thursday, March 6th, 2008 inside of her home on Red Brown Drive in Clara near Waynesboro.
Officials reported that Williams and her husband, Ken Williams, had just arrived home and they were the only people in the home at the time that a single bullet entered the house through a kitchen window on the back of the house.
“The shot came through the kitchen window as Williams stood in front of her refrigerator,” Investigator Ricky Lott with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI) said in a press release. “A high power rifle was used to fire the fatal shot. “
Lott and Investigator Mike Mozingo with the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department (WCSO) are the lead investigators in the case.
Wayne County Deputy Sheriff Kevin Stevens, who is the department’s Criminal Investigator, spoke to the media about law enforcement officials’ investigation.
Officials reported that Wayne County Sheriff John Farrior was not able to attend the press conference because he has recently undergone a total knee replacement surgery.
Stevens said investigators have interviewed 67 people in connection with the case and have received numerous tips. However, officials have not been able to identify a suspect or make an arrest.
“We believe that this was a planned and calculated event,” Stevens confirmed. “We have interviewed numerous people from her family and people who frequent the bar they owned and several local people. ... We do not have a firm suspect in this case.”
Williams and her husband co-owned the High Noon Bar in Waynesboro, as well as a flower shop.
Wisham and her family said they need closure.
“It’s tearing our family apart,” said Tod Wisham, Williams’ son-in-law. “It’s hard to accept. ... It’s been a living h-ll. ... Closure would mean so much.”
Family members and investigators said the mystery surrounding the death is “why?”
“You try to ask questions, but we don’t have the answers,” the son-in-law said. “Our family is in so much pain.”
The victim’s daughter wiped tears as she talked about her mother, who lived and raised her family in Wayne County for many years.
“She didn’t have any enemies. She was a single parent and raised me and my brother,” the daughter said. “All I want to know is why they killed her. She would have given them anything they wanted. ... We want to know why.”
Eighteen-year-old Heather Wisham said her family needs some answers concerning her grandmother’s death.
“We are asking for this help because we don’t know where to turn,” Heather Wisham said.
“This is a cry for help,” Tod Wisham added. “Finding the killer would start closure. ... You can’t start healing until you see justice.”
Encouraging help from the public, Stevens said “the family deserves closure.”
Metro Crime Stoppers announced Wednesday that it’s teaming up with the MBI, the WCSO, and Wayne County Crime Stoppers, to help the family of Williams get public help.
The Crime Stoppers agencies are offering a $2,000 reward for information concerning the early morning murder. The family of the victim is also offering a reward.
Diane James, coordinator of the Metro Crime Stoppers and Southeast MS Crime Stoppers, attended the press conference and said the Metro Crime Stoppers is assisting in the plea for public help.
“Metro Crime Stoppers was initially contacted (about the case) by Trish Harbour (the state director of the Division of Crime Stoppers for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety) in Jackson,” James aid. “I spoke with our Metro Crime Stoppers Board President, Mr. Charlie McAffrey, and Mr. McAffrey was very supportive. He expressed that we (Metro Crime Stoppers) will be glad to help out with the networking involved with the media, the community, and the various law enforcement to hopefully help solve this case.”
James said information received through the hotline makes a difference.
“The very first crime stoppers case ever solved in the United States (C.S is now worldwide) was solved with help from a hotline tipster, over 30 years ago in Albuquerque, New Mexico,” James said. “It was a cold case murder like this one in Waynesboro, so I feel confident the public will get involved and hopefully someone with vital information about this murder will come forth and call one of the tip hotline numbers.”
Officials said all calls/tips on this case should go to the Mississippi State Crime Stoppers Tip Hotline at 1-888-8CRIMES (1-888-827-4637) or METRO CRIME STOPPERS AT 601-582-STOP(7867).

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