A Louisiana woman reached a plea deal with prosecutors after being charged with the murder of a young girl who was dragged into a lovers quarrel between exes.
Ester Williams, 26, was initially charged with one count of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted first-degree murder following the shooting death of 12-year-old Cedrica Lee last May in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
According to police documents, Lee was pulled into a feud between Williams, her boyfriend, 36-year-old Patrick Johnson, and Johnson’s ex-girlfriend, 33-year-old Gentrea Haley.
On May 13, 2023, Haley picked up three young girls including Lee from a friend’s house to take them to the store, according to police documents.
Haley reportedly spotted Johnson’s car on the street while she was driving, followed it to a store, and then to Johnson’s home.
She parked in Johnson’s driveway, then allegedly told Lee and another girl to knock on his front door. As the two kids approached the door, they saw the doorknob move and quickly ran back to Haley’s car.
An armed Williams opened the door and fired one shot at Haley’s car. That bullet hit Lee as she was standing in the driveway. She died at the scene.
In a police interview, Williams told detectives that Haley had been harassing her and Johnson after Haley learned that Johnson started dating Williams while Haley was still seeing him.
Police say Haley learned that Williams was pregnant with Johnson’s child and began lashing out at the couple. Haley would reportedly visit Johnson’s home uninvited, bang on the door, and sometimes barge in.
As Haley followed the couple on the day of the shooting, she reportedly sent a barrage of texts to Johnson, calling him a “fool,” before Johnson blocked her number.
Investigators learned that when Haley followed the couple to the store, she let the girls follow them inside. One child even took a picture of them.
Williams told police that she saw Haley’s car follow her and Johnson home. After going inside the house, Williams said she saw people approaching the front door while Haley honked her horn loudly outside. She said she thought they were trying to harass her, so she opened the door and fired her gun.
She didn’t know Lee or the other children Haley was chaperoning.
After the shooting, Williams was arrested and jailed without bond.
Johnson, who fled with Williams and attempted to hide the gun after the shooting, was also charged with accessory after the fact for first-degree murder and accessory after the fact for attempted first-degree murder. Haley also faced one count of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile, disturbing the peace, stalking, and criminal trespassing.
In Williams’ plea bargain with prosecutors, she pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter, which carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. Lee’s mother, Bertha Johnson, approved the agreement, expressing a reluctance to move the case to trial and relive the moments leading up to her daughter’s death.
“I’m tired. I’m sick. I’m stressed,” Johnson told WBRZ. “I still don’t know all the details and all that took place. All I know is that my baby is gone…I won’t have peace until I finish this. Once this is over and done with and they have their last rule on the judgment, then I’ll be OK.”
Williams will be sentenced in October.
