MEMPHIS, Tenn — A Shelby County Grand Jury has indicted the woman accused of shooting and killing a Church's Chicken employee in Orange Mound, according to court records.
Court records show Monica Williams was indicted Aug. 22, 2024, on charges of first-degree murder and convicted felon in possession of a firearm. She was arrested July 15, and remains in the Shelby County Jail with no bond.
The shooting
The Memphis Police Department responded to the shooting July 8, 2024, just after 9 p.m. at 2963 Park Avenue, after a Church’s employee called saying she had found a coworker shot and bleeding in the parking lot, according to the affidavit. Officers found Anitra West shot in the head and she was rushed to Regional One Hospital, where she died from her injuries.
Investigators said West was working at Church's Chicken when another woman with purple hair drove through the drive-thru in a teal-colored compact SUV and argued with West. According to the affidavit, the coworker told police the woman in the car argued with West about not paying for food, then drove off the parking lot.
The coworker told officers West said she was upset and wanted to walk outside for some air. After just a few minutes, the coworker said she heard a gunshot then saw an unknown vehicle speed through the parking lot and around the drive-thru, then away. That’s when the coworker said she found West shot outside.
Victim's friend heard everything
The affidavit said West had a cell phone earpiece in during the entire incident - from the argument through the shooting. West’s friend who was on the line told investigators she heard the argument, and West told her it was a woman with purple hair. The friend told officers she heard the customer yell “I will kill you” to West, according to the affidavit.
The friend said she stayed on the phone with West as she went outside to get air, when West told her, “This same girl with purple hair I just got into it with just pulled back up on the parking lot.” The affidavit said the friend told investigators she heard West yell, “Just go to jail then h**,” then a single gunshot, before it went silent. She then heard familiar voices of other Church’s employees calling West’s name.
Suspect was seen on camera
According to the affidavit, surveillance video from the business showed West arguing in the drive-thru with the woman with purple hair who was driving a teal older model compact SUV. They said another woman was a passenger in the SUV as well. Investigators said video showed the woman with purple hair drive off, but then minutes later return in the same SUV after West walked outside. Investigators said video then showed the SUV speeding out of the parking lot.
The day after the shooting, Memphis Police released pictures of the suspect and vehicle on social media asking anyone with information to come forward.
The search for the suspect
According to the affidavit, a woman called police the morning after seeing the social media post, and identified the suspect as Monica Williams and said the vehicle was outside of her home.
The affidavit said the woman told police she was inside the SUV with her son when Williams and West got into the argument. According to the affidavit, the woman said West got upset when they told her they had two orders in the drive-thru. The woman said she told Williams they would skip the food “since the ordering had become so tense.”
The woman told investigators Williams pulled up to the window and told the worker they didn’t want the order anymore, and that’s when the arguing continued. At that point, the woman told police Williams left and drove the woman and her son to their home, then told the woman she was going to go get some chips.
The woman told police when Williams returned, a couple hours later, she packed an overnight bag and left, according to the affidavit. The woman said she didn’t think anything of it as Williams had been seeing someone and leaving at night. The woman told investigators she called police as soon as she saw the news the next morning.
A warrant for first-degree murder was issued for Williams Thursday, July 11 and she was taken into custody the following Monday.
