On Halloween night 2015, 35-year-old Tiffany James is fatally shot by a masked man in a full Halloween costume outside her apartment in Brandon, Florida, while her twin daughters witness the attack. The investigation begins by ruling out her current boyfriend and shifts focus to her ex-husband, Daryl Williams, due to a documented history of violent behavior and control issues. Daryl’s daughter testifies that he has a pattern of aggression, especially after losing custody of the children and facing financial strain. A key accomplice, Rosalind, Daryl’s new girlfriend, initially lies about her whereabouts, but cell phone records prove she was at the scene. She later confesses she drove Daryl to the apartment, where he shot and killed Tiffany, and claims to have seen the shooting. Given the trauma of having the children testify in court, prosecutors offer Daryl a plea deal: 20 years in prison instead of life. Though Daryl admits to using a shotgun and claims revenge for being rejected, the case remains emotionally devastating for the girls, who lost both mother and father. Rosalind is not charged, and Daryl is expected to be released in 2035. The case underscores the dangers of toxic relationships, the emotional toll on children, and the difficult balance between justice and protecting minors from further trauma.
This episode is sponsored by Vinted. Okay, be honest. How many clothes are sitting in your closet right now that you keep telling yourself you're gonna wear again? I recently realized I had pieces taking up space that I just wasn't reaching for anymore. And that's where Vinted comes in. Vinted is a second-hand marketplace app that makes it simple to sell clothes you no longer wear, earn some extra money, and give those pieces a second life. Listing on Vinted is quick and simple, and here's a major perk. Vinted has no seller fees. And the Vinted app is also free to download. Vinted makes finally tackling that closet clean out feel like a win. You can clear out the pieces you're not wearing, make room to refresh your wardrobe, and actually get more value of what you already own. So what's hiding in your closet? You might be surprised by how much you can earn with Vinted. Ready to clean out your closet and make some extra money? Download the Vinted app for free and start listing. With no seller fees, you keep every dollar you earn. On All Hallows Eve, a single mother becomes the target of a terrifying attack. There's a woman on the ground, and somebody in a full Halloween costume holding a shotgun, naming it down at her. This isn't a Halloween prank. This is a real murder. And two of the only witnesses are the victim's twin daughters. They both had blood all over their costume and in their hair and on their face. It put me in a place of resolve. I'm going to make sure that we find out who did this. The investigation uncovers evidence of a dangerous love triangle. There is a history of violent behaviors that's often a trigger for an escalation. I knew it wasn't her that did the killing, but I knew she's involved somehow. What happened? Give it all to me, and let me help you. I was afraid for my life. We walked away going, she's not telling us the truth. But the monster demands control. As sick and twisted as it is, I think that was his ultimate vengeance. They face a real-life boogie man. [MUSIC PLAYING] October 31, 2015. It's a typical hectic Halloween in the town of Brandon, Florida. A suburb just east of Tampa. There's a lot of families, so Halloween is a time that would be very busy in the Brandon area. You usually see groups of parents with their kids walking the neighborhood going door to door to trick-a-treating. After handing out candy at her apartment complex all evening, a young woman is relaxing on her couch with a horror movie marathon. But around 11 p.m., she gets a different kind of scare. She says that she had heard a loud bang or a boom. And she said her front door flew open. And she jumps up, startled. She gets over to look. There's a woman on the ground who she recognizes her neighbor, Tiffany James, and somebody in a full Halloween costume holding a shotgun, naming it down at her. She realizes, this is real. Terrified, she immediately shuts the door. Seconds later, she hears three gunshots. She's horrifying. She can't believe this is happening right at her front door. But the terror isn't over yet. She hears a knock at the door. When she's reluctant to open it, but when she does, she sees a terrified little girl covered in blood. The woman recognizes the little girl as Tiffany's daughter who lives a couple buildings down. They bring her in in a short time after that, a second knock, and it's the little girls twin sister. The neighbor keeps the seven-year-old girl safe while she calls 911. By that time, she isn't the only one. The callers are clearly distressed and terrified, saying that there has been a shooting. With the deputies arrived, there was an individual there, a black female who had significant trauma and would appear to be gunshot injuries. The paramedics immediately rushed 35-year-old Tiffany to Tampa General Hospital. You can only imagine what the horror would be like just to have that happen on any night. The idea that it would have happened on Halloween night and some of these in a full Halloween costume was definitely unusual as well. And they don't know what is going on. Who could have shot and killed this mother and done it in front of her two children on Halloween night? Tiffany James was born on August 18, 1980. From the beginning, her life was defined by adversity. Tiffany was my go to my sister. She's my dad's oldest child. And that was from a previous relationship. She grew up in Tampa. My dad wasn't physically there because he was, you know, in games with us. In her teens, Tiffany went to live with family members. She ended up living with her all up. I think the world of family members involved. That was kind of helping her, you know, kind of raise her. It wasn't long before Tiffany started her own family. The year she graduated high school, she welcomed her first son. A few years later, she and her boyfriend welcomed another baby boy. But soon after, she found herself a single mother. They just grew up in real part. Whatever issues they may have had, if they even had any issues at all, they were a set aside, and they were there for the boys. I could definitely see how having your parents not so present in your upbringing. I felt like it made Tiffany like embed ourselves there and to let the kids know that she was there. She was working in some medical office. She had her family and she was going to take care of them. As she worked to establish a life with her two young boys, Tiffany still dreamed of having a complete family. Around 2008, she met Daryl Williams. 14 years her senior, Daryl also had older children from previous relationships. She fell in love with Daryl. Right after they ended up having children together, they had two twin girls. A few years after the girls were born, they decided, you know what, let's get married. They connected in a duper level. And so things were moving along in their relationship. By the late 2000s, Tiffany's family had grown even larger. After more than two decades, she finally met her half-siblings for the first time. It wasn't until the right, as I was turning a teenager, you know, my dad was like, you know, you all got a sister, you know, type of thing. I remember her coming up for something. I don't know if it was one of my nephews, birthday, or something like that. Tiffany was a light. She was a light. She had this big old, beautiful smile. She had all four of her kids at that point, my younger sisters. They didn't grow up in the house with the older sister. I think they clicked the quickest. While Tiffany's newfound connection with her family thrived, her relationship with Darrell wasn't as strong. I remember she called me, and that's when I knew it wasn't what it was cracked up to be, or what had appeared to be. She just said that, it was just that they got engaged. I guess things started. I don't know. I feel like I've been a term deteriorating. After five years, they'd split up. And Tiffany was once again a single mother to her boys and seven-year-old twins. I felt like she embraced it all. Hell, I watered. She was going to be-- she was going to provide for her kids. Tiffany was-- she was ambitious. She was in school for, I think, the aesthetician of cosmology. She got that entrepreneur's spirit where she wanted to own her own salon. Tiffany found her strength, you know, you can get dirt off her boots and move them forward. In the summer of 2015, Tiffany unexpectedly bumped into an old friend she'd met at a party years before. He's a single dad with kids of his own. And they strike up a friendship. But things continue to grow between the two. He and Tiffany had never been romantic, until after she ended it with Darrell. And then just in the last few months, their friendship had developed into a. relationship. He thought she was a wonderful mom. I felt like Tiffany was like she was relieved. She-- you know, she was trying to find a pad forward. They were friends for a while before they even took it that route. So yeah, this felt like she was-- she wasn't looking back. Her friend was the pad forward for her. Now, her bright future has been cut short. Doctors are trying to save Tiffany's life after she was shot by a masked gunman outside of a neighbor's apartment on Halloween. Her injuries were significant. She had significant head trauma. We knew that with the type of injury that Miss Jane's had, that it was not just a handgun that had caused that injury. She had to have been shot with a devastating weapon. But tragically, her wounds are too severe. They pronounced Tiffany James deceased at the hospital. To my recollection scene, we had Halloween murder. I've ever had, and I was in homicide for almost 14 years. Homicide detectives are immediately called to the scene. I personally had been out that night with my wife and my children. We had gone trick-or-treating, like we always do. And when we were getting settled was when I got the phone called. While I was on the way there is when I learned that there were actually kids involved. Inside the neighbor's apartment, they find Tiffany's twin girls sheltering with the neighbor. One of them, I came in, which one couldn't even talk. She would try, and there was no voice coming out. It was just heartbreaking. But other than shotgun shells outside, investigators find little evidence to work with. The deputies immediately began to think that this is probably not a robbery. Nothing was going through the purse. This is not somebody who was just showed up and wanted to take money from Miss James. It was something personal. Coming up, the list of suspects includes Tiffany's most trusted loved ones. He's got a firearm with him inside the garage. But one name rises to the top. She said, if something's happened in Tiffany, then my father is your prime suspect. [MUSIC PLAYING] Just before midnight on Halloween, Tampa detectives are investigating the murder of 35-year-old Tiffany James. All they knew is they had someone dressed as Jason with a mask on, who shot and killed a woman in front of her children on Halloween night. When you have a scene that doesn't have a lot of physical evidence, you begin to have to rely on what people tell you. [MUSIC PLAYING] While officers track down Tiffany's family, one of the first people detectives talk to is Tiffany's neighbor, who witnessed the shooting. I heard a bang in the door full of open. And I ran to the door, and the woman was laying on the ground. And the male was pointing the shotgun down at her. I didn't see his face. He had a white mask. And he had a black clothes. You realize the magnitude and the difficulties that you're about to deal with? Because they're in a complete costume from head to toe. Race, you know, hair, anything like that is really out the window because they're completely covered up. Maybe the individual picked Halloween because he thought he could get away with it. Somebody had to have planned this to conceal themselves so that they could carry out this attack. He wouldn't stand out walking around in a Halloween mask. What time do you think this was? I want to say that that was at 11 o'clock. And then you hear a nudge up against the door. And in the little light cry. The cry, then you open it, you see the little child. While detectives interview the neighbor, additional deputies are canvassing the area for more information. I was watching a movie with my girlfriend, and then I heard-- if they speak the sound, it was like a gunshot. And then I stopped the movie, so I heard a child screaming. There was a couple neighbors that did see an individual who was dressed in all black, running from the area. They both describe the same person. Stature about five, seven to six foot, 220 pounds. This is definitely a male. But they could not see race. They could not see anything other than his full outfit and his body type. As terrible as this may sound, the community itself was glad it had kind of happened later in the evening because just two hours before that, the complex had been filled with kids walking around going door-to-door collecting candy and trick-or-treating. Neighbors say they also noticed a strange car outside the building around the time of the shooting. It was a silver sedan. They said that the car had left very quickly after the first gunshot. They didn't know if that was something that may be related or involved in this. But what we could tell in talking to those neighbors about when the car left and in communicating with the other neighbors who saw someone running, that the car had definitely left after the individual was seen running away. Unfortunately, no one saw a license plate for the silver car and there are no security cameras at the apartment complex. We got back together as detectives and we kind of decided what do we need to do next. In a case like this, it's what can we do for these two girls now? Part of the job of law enforcement is to wear many hats. Anytime that you have children involved, I think most law enforcement officers take on that hat of protector. The daughters had given phone numbers to the neighbor where the incident happened and they called family members of family members that showed up at the scene. We needed to get the girls out of the neighbor's apartment. We didn't want to expose them to crime scene other than what they've already had seen. And so what we did was we put blankets over their heads and we brought them out with blankets covering so they couldn't see any of the blood. We went ahead and got them safe and secure with the grandmother and we began to talk to Tiffany's sister. Tiffany's sister tells investigators there are two prominent men in Tiffany's life, her current boyfriend and the father of her twins, Daryl Williams. We learned that Tiffany and Daryl had been together for seven or eight years and throughout the relationship there had been issues. And finally Tiffany called and quits with him because Daryl was known to have other girlfriends. Now we have a couple of different options. Two most important people that we decided we wanted to talk to was the current boyfriend that Tiffany was seeing as well as we want to speak to Daryl, the ex. With that it was determined that we would divide and conquer. Myself and Detective Blair, we get to the boyfriend's residence. It's about four in the morning at this point. When I got there, I was immediately met with something that was a little bit shocking to me. He's garage doors open. He's got a truck sitting in the driveway and he's pacing back and forth inside the garage. He tells us he's been waiting for us. He knew we were coming because the family had called him to tell him what happened. He's in a state of serious stress, but defense mode as well. He doesn't feel safe sitting at home. So we just pulled out a digital recorder where we could record everything that was said. And we conducted an interview right there in the garage. We're sitting here and then I'm looking to your left and you've got a handgun in its case. Next to you that you had already pulled out just in case somebody came to do you harm or do your kids harm, correct? Yes. Tiffany's boyfriend was likely experiencing extreme regret and wondering what he could have or should have done to protect her possibly. I've dealt with lots of people throughout my career. And I could tell that he was just flat scared. He was trying to get his kids away from his house because he didn't know if he was going to be next. Tiffany's boyfriend tells investigators he went trick-or-treating with her and the twins. They planned on meeting at his apartment after changing out of their costumes. But Tiffany never showed up. Tell me about tonight. Was anything said tonight? Was she nervous about anything? Did everybody go to girls at a good time for a treat? Do you know of any issues that she's had with anybody else? I don't know, I don't know. Get a follow.
- I believe that Daryl had been following him. Throughout the night, I think he really kind of just tried to stay away from him. - Yeah, what kind of vehicle is that? - All black, dark, tin, and a jacomass, hang on, broken here. - So this is definitely something that's got you on alert. - Oh, most definitely. - After talking to Tiffany's boyfriend, we felt that he had no involvement in the case. Would it had become very apparent was we needed to speak to Daryl. He believed that Daryl had been following him and he believed that based on the vehicle and the white mask that Daryl had hanging from his mirror, which we believe there was a mask, the suspect had on that night of the incident. - We didn't have enough information to calling the suspect, but we did have enough for us to absolutely have a very hard conversation with him. - The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Department has ruled out Tiffany James' current boyfriend as a suspect in her murder. They quickly moved down the list to her ex, Daryl Williams. On November 1st, investigators stop by Daryl's home to interview him, but he's not there. - We break up in the teams, detectives may contact with the neighbors who give us a description of the vehicles that are routinely at the house. One of the things that we observed was a dark and color SUV. It was similar to the one that Tiffany's boyfriend had described to us that he had seen following him. Daryl also had a couple of other vehicles. He had a green sedan and a gold sedan. - No one mentions the silver car that witnesses saw fleeing the murder scene. - I was just sitting on the house waiting for Daryl, his daughter comes home and we interview the daughter. We let her know while we're there and that we're looking for her father and that Tiffany James had been murdered. - She was upset. One of her first questions was about the daughters 'cause those are her sisters and she wanted to know if they were okay. - One of the things that she told us it really caught our attention. She said, "I know what my father is capable of." She said, "If something's happened to Tiffany, then my father is your prime suspect." And I'm like, "Well, why would you say, "explain to me why you said that?" And she tells us a story about how her father, it's his way or no way and she remembers when her father pulled out a gun and aimed at her mother's face. - It seems Daryl's relationship with Tiffany had become equally volatile after their breakup. - Daryl's daughter explains her father as a very controlling man that has a history of violent behaviors. - When Tiffany ended her relationship with him, that's often a trigger for an escalation of these behaviors. - He had come her astro at work. There was some ammonia poured in her gas tank of one of her cars. She believed it was Daryl. They did that. They've been in court several times. It was just a constant tension and stress between the two of them. - The day before the murder, Daryl and Tiffany's legal conflict reached a crescendo. - The twin girls, there was a custody battle going on between the two and they were in and out of court. - The outcome was, you know, they awarded custody to Tiffany and I'm pretty sure he was pissed about it. - The courts incited with her for him to help financially and now we have an individual that may be upset with Tiffany about the fact that he's gonna have to pay her for the next 15 or 16 years. This was just creating more and more issues for him. - The daughter, she had not heard from him since earlier on in Halloween. She found out there'd be a bit unusual because she said they were very close and they always keep in contact and she always knows where he is and he always knows where she is. - While officers watch the house, detectives have Daryl's records pulled and go to speak with the manager at the chemical plant where he works. - The records were telling us he owed over $100,000 in back child support, child support for all these children that he had from the different women. When we went and talked to his place of employment, the first thing they told us which was most important for this case was the fact that he was not at work on Halloween. In fact, he was known to work day and night shifts. They described him as a hard worker, always willing to work overtime when they called late to ask for somebody. He hadn't been available for that night. - It's another red flag for investigators. As is the fact that Daryl's employers aren't surprised he's a potential murder suspect. - One of the individuals indicated flat out, he found Daryl to be explosive at times. - He threatened people, there were people that were scared of him. He was very combative with people, very combative with management. - He didn't have a very good relationship with any of his female bosses. He felt that he was better than them. He felt like he needed to control them. - Based on the information gathered so far, the Hillsborough Sheriff's Department puts out an APB on Daryl's primary vehicle, a gold camera. - A couple days after the alert has issued, a neighbor reports the vehicle is at a residence in the Claremelle area, which is just east of Tampa, and just a few miles away from Tiffany James's house. - Arriving at the location, detectives find out that the house is owned by Daryl's latest girlfriend, Rosalind. Parked outside, they find a gold camera and a silver sedan matching the description of the one witnessed at the scene. - She said that the relationship was fairly new. They were still in that dating stage. When we asked her if she knew where Daryl was, she indicated that he had gone to get himself a lawyer. When we heard this, we thought that that was very interesting. Although getting a lawyer doesn't indicate one's guilt or innocence were all afforded the right to counsel here in the United States, but we hadn't notified him that he was a suspect. - 20 minutes later, investigators get a call from Daryl's attorney. - When I learned that the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office would be involved, I placed a call to the detectives and told him I, at that point, was in contact with Mr. Williams and that they were not to talk to him under any circumstances. However, those instructions don't seem to apply to Rosalind. - She called one of our other detectives the next day and said that she was ready to talk to him and they went and did a formal interview with her. - Everything she told us about Daryl was 100% different than we had been told by everybody else at that point. She told us that he was not controlling, that he was loving, that he was caring. She specifically told us that Daryl had no issues with the twins' mother Tiffany. - When we asked her where she had been, where she and Daryl had been on Halloween, she told us very clearly. She said that she and Daryl had been together. - She says that Daryl came to her house around seven o'clock after work. They sat on the porch, washed trick a treaters, had a couple beers, she sat on his lap. She said that at some point early in the evening, Daryl decided he was tired and he wanted to go to bed. She said that he went inside and laid down. - Rosalind says she left for a few hours to get food and run errands. When she got back, Daryl was still there. - She said that when she left earlier in the evening, sometime around seven, thirty or eight, Daryl was asleep on the couch. She said when she came back, sometime around nine, thirty, ten o'clock, Daryl was asleep on the couch. When she returned at one o'clock, Daryl was still asleep inside the house. - There were none of that travel. Was she ever alleged and in story to have gone to Tiffany James's residence or anywhere near Tiffany James's residence? - After she told us this story and we began to think about how can we prove or disprove the story, it didn't make sense. - Coming up, two brave young girls described the horror they witnessed on Halloween. - As much as it was a good statement for our case, I almost dreaded it. - And detectives grow tired of one woman's tricks. - We know you know what happened. So either give it up or get the fuck out of my office. (upbeat music) - It's been two days since Tiffany James was murdered in front of her seven-year-old twins. Now, with the help of a forensic interviewer, detectives are hoping the girls might be able to confirm the identity of the killer. - Hillsborough County.
has a child advocacy center where they can take children who have been victims or witnesses to situations. And it is an environment in which is a much more kid-friendly, especially compared to a police station. - The first twin that was interviewed, she started off real strong. When the interviewer was talking to her about generic things, not specific to the incident or anything like that, she was fine, she was talkative. But as soon as it started to get a little bit into the, what happened that night, she really broke down and just started crying and wanted to leave. - Having to discuss something so soon after something traumatic has happened can be very difficult and lead to just shutting down and not being able to discuss any kind of details. - The second twin, the forensic interviewer started talking to her, she opened up. She talked very clearly about what had happened that night. She gave us a couple little pieces of information that became very important. - She was articulate and she spoke about what she saw. She believed that it was her father based on his body type and the fact that he's always fussing with her mother. - The twins also reported that they saw their father having pictures of the inside of their apartment as well as Tiffany's boyfriend's apartment. - The second daughter explained that he had said that was obtained by a private investigator hired by Darryl in attempt to further stock Tiffany and the family. - As much as it was a good statement for our case, I almost dreaded it because I didn't want to have to have those little girls get up on a stand later on and have to testify against their own father. - With the information from Tiffany's daughters and Darryl's older daughter, investigators know Rosalind has to be covering for her new boyfriend. On November 6th, investigators subpoena her phone records to find out if she's lying. Three days later, they get the answer. - After we got the records, what we knew definitely was the story that Rosalind had given us was not the truth. Her cell phone was nowhere near where she said she had been on the night of Halloween. More importantly, what we noticed was that cell phone was inside of Tiffany's apartment complex. - His girlfriend's body stature did not match, not even remotely close to what the witnesses were describing so I knew it wasn't her that did the killing, but I knew she's involved somehow. So now the task on our hand is to try and break her down and get her to tell us what the truth is. - On November 21st, they make their move. - At that point, we made contact with Rosalind. This time, we didn't go to her house to interview her. This time, we brought her to our house and we interviewed her in our interview room. - But you should understand this is voluntary. If you don't want to talk to me, you can stand up right now, walk out that door and be a favor, just don't lie to me, okay? - That's a question. - I laid out the evidence. I think I even may have shown her a map that we had plotting where her cell phone was. She's not where she says she was all night. - Everything you said, I can prove it's not true. I can prove where you were. I can prove at what times you were there. - What happened on home? - Tell us, Rob. - There's two little girls who witnessed this. - At that point, she starts crying. - Literally drops out of the sea and rolls into a corner and just balls up in the balls, such crying. - What were you told? What happened? (laughing) - Why? - But Rosalind still refuses to talk. - We have given up or given the **** out of my office. That's it. - At that point, she indicates she wanted to leave and we let her leave, but we told her when she left. They were keeping your car this time because we'd have reason to believe that your car was involved. We were looking for maybe a mask, some dark clothing, possibly ammunition, possibly a shotgun, maybe shotgun shells, but we found was nothing. - On November 24th, investigators give Rosalind one last chance to come clean. - She was nervous, but she was trying to hide it and she was trying to act like it was not that big of a deal to talk to us. When we got to the office and started the interview, that's where it all broke open and she just broke down to start a crime. - Rosalind tells us on that night of Halloween that she did in fact drive Darrell to Tiffany's complex. - She said that they were at the house. He asked her to take him to do something real quick. She says that she didn't really know what he was gonna do. They drove over to the apartment complex and they sat there waiting and she was playing video games on her phone. When Tiffany pulled up, Darrell Williams got out of her car, put a mask on and pulled, but she described as a farm from his waistband. At that point, she said she panicked and just drove off and left. She said she didn't know what to do when she got home Darrell was there. She doesn't know how he got there. - Based on our experience already with Rosalind, we still weren't 100% confident that she was telling us the complete truth. She's telling us that she left before there was any shooting, but our witness said that the vehicle left after the first shot. - Rosalind might not be completely trustworthy, but prosecutors know she's the best chance they have of bringing Tiffany's killer to justice. They decide to offer Rosalind limited immunity in exchange for her testimony. They gave her immunity for her involvement in that incident as long as she was honest about it. At that point, the state attorney went ahead and authorized us to obtain an arrest warrant for Darrell Williams charging him with first degree pre-meditated murder. We felt that probably the safest place for both Darrell and us was to arrest him at work. Due to the nature of his work and it being in a poor facility, whenever he gets to work, he has to go through a security checkpoint. They check for weapons. They check for any type of firearms. - When Darrell shows up, this time, investigators are the ones wearing disguises. - A couple of us even dressed as workers there and waited for Darrell to arrive. And we surprised him. (upbeat music) - Nearly four weeks into the investigation of Tiffany James' murder, officers surprised her ex-fiance Darrell Williams at work placing him under arrest for her murder. - Darrell didn't resist arrest. He didn't fight with us. He tried to pull away a little bit, but I think he because he was shocked because someone dressed as a maintenance worker was arresting him. - He didn't say anything. He just indicated he would talk to his attorney. - As prosecutors prepare their case against Darrell, they bring in Rosalind one more time to make sure their star witness has her story straight. - You actually saw him pull the trigger and heard the shot, the first shot. - Yes, sir. By this time, she indicated that not only had she driven Darrell there, she'd also seen the gunshot and he'd actually witnessed Darrell shooting kill Tiffany. - Rosalind claims she lied because she was afraid of Darrell and what he was capable of. - I don't tell you the whole story because I was afraid from my life because I know the capability of what could have happened and what still could happen to me. I just wanted to get that off my chest because I'm hurt and I'm scared and I'm just, I'm just here to do what it is that I need to do. - I believe that Rosalind went to great extremes to continue to lie to us. For a couple of reasons, I don't think that she could accept the fact that she may have inadvertently participated in the murder of Tiffany. And Rosalind wanted to believe that Darrell was a great guy. She wanted to believe that this was going to be her future. This was going to be somebody that she was going to always be with. - But Rosalind's changing story causes further problems. - She had lied the first time and we could understand why to a certain degree.
It wasn't somebody that the prosecution was very excited about putting up on the stand because we were proving the fact that she was willing to lie. Ultimately, prosecutors decide not to take the case to trial. Those two girls having to sit up and testify and go through the trial process. It's hard, it's hard on any children. It's hard on adults to do that. So in this case, a plea deal was negotiated. There are Williams accepted a plea deal for 20 years in prison and lieu of life. It is an appropriate sentence, if indeed the state couldn't go forth with a first-degree murder. 20 years, it seems pretty light. But again, that sentence is based upon the facts of the case. I mean, we were disappointed. It's just an unfathomable man. It's like, you know, you shut my sister in a face, put a shotgun, wash it on the ground. The girls were right there with her. Coward is too good of a word. It didn't feel like justice, but to avoid any more damage to the girls, I think that avoiding placing them on the stand and putting them back in that situation was the better alternative. Daryl isn't required to explain his motives for killing Tiffany as part of his plea agreement, but a fellow inmate says he knows why Daryl did it. I drove up to the prison and I didn't interview with the inmate, and he tells me that there are Williams confess to him that he killed her because she wouldn't take him back and that if he can't have her, nobody else will. He was a monster. Daryl had absolutely no regard for his children. The firearm that he used, the shotgun, very easily, his daughters could have been struck by that shell. By one of the multiple shells that he shot in to Tiffany, he didn't care if he traumatized him. No father would ever put their daughters or ever put their children through witnessing that. I feel like Daryl snapped because he lost control. He was more comfortable with her being gone and out of the picture and not in the manner she wanted to by just moving forward her life, as sick and twisted as it is. I think that was his ultimate vengeance. Years after Tiffany's death, October 31st serves as a grim reminder for her community and her loved ones. Halloween can be scary for a lot of people in general. When cases like this happen, it puts those things and makes those things real, a real threat, a real concern. A dreaded Halloween, I even would take PTO days before or after because I knew I was going to have some sort of emotional response. For the twins, this is a life-changing traumatic event. They lost their mother and they also lost their father. He will be in prison for the next 20 years. Some of us, you know, have better coping mechanisms than the other, but it's still one big gaping hole. It's hard working, man. It's hard breaking. Rosalind was never charged for her role in Tiffany James's murder. Daryl Williams is scheduled to be released from Florida's Jefferson Correctional Institution in 2035.
Podcast Summary
Key Points:
A 35-year-old woman, Tiffany James, is murdered in front of her twin daughters on Halloween night in Brandon, Florida, by a man in a full Halloween costume wielding a shotgun.
Investigators initially rule out Tiffany’s current boyfriend as a suspect but focus on her ex-husband, Daryl Williams, due to a history of violent behavior and a volatile relationship.
Daryl’s daughter claims he has a controlling, violent nature and that his anger escalated after losing custody of the twins and facing financial pressure.
A key witness, Rosalind, Daryl’s new girlfriend, initially provides a false account of the night, claiming she was at home with him and that he was asleep, but her phone records prove she was at the apartment complex.
Rosalind later confesses she drove Daryl to Tiffany’s apartment, where he put on a mask and shot her, and she witnessed the shooting.
Due to the trauma of having the girls testify, prosecutors offer Daryl a plea deal: 20 years in prison instead of life in prison for first-degree murder.
Daryl’s alleged motive is rooted in jealousy and a desire for revenge after Tiffany refused to recommit to him.
The case highlights the dangers of unchecked control, the impact of trauma on children, and the ethical considerations of involving minors in criminal trials.
Summary:
On Halloween night 2015, 35-year-old Tiffany James is fatally shot by a masked man in a full Halloween costume outside her apartment in Brandon, Florida, while her twin daughters witness the attack. The investigation begins by ruling out her current boyfriend and shifts focus to her ex-husband, Daryl Williams, due to a documented history of violent behavior and control issues. Daryl’s daughter testifies that he has a pattern of aggression, especially after losing custody of the children and facing financial strain.
A key accomplice, Rosalind, Daryl’s new girlfriend, initially lies about her whereabouts, but cell phone records prove she was at the scene. She later confesses she drove Daryl to the apartment, where he shot and killed Tiffany, and claims to have seen the shooting. Given the trauma of having the children testify in court, prosecutors offer Daryl a plea deal: 20 years in prison instead of life.
Though Daryl admits to using a shotgun and claims revenge for being rejected, the case remains emotionally devastating for the girls, who lost both mother and father. Rosalind is not charged, and Daryl is expected to be released in 2035. The case underscores the dangers of toxic relationships, the emotional toll on children, and the difficult balance between justice and protecting minors from further trauma.
FAQs
Vinted is a second-hand marketplace app that allows users to sell clothes they no longer wear, earn money, and give items a second life. Listing is quick and free, with no seller fees, making it easy to declutter your closet and get value from what you already own.
No, Vinted has no seller fees. Every dollar earned from a sale goes directly to the seller, making it a cost-effective way to recycle clothing and earn extra income.
The Vinted app helps users identify clothes they haven’t worn in a long time, list them for sale, and receive offers. With no fees and a simple process, it makes tackling a closet cleanout feel manageable and rewarding.
Tiffany James, a 35-year-old mother, was murdered outside her apartment by a man in a full Halloween costume holding a shotgun. The attack occurred in front of her two young daughters, who were left traumatized and became key witnesses.
Daryl Williams, Tiffany’s ex-boyfriend, was heavily suspected due to a history of violent behavior, a volatile relationship, and evidence showing he had been following her and accessing her private information. His daughter also stated he was controlling and capable of violence.
Yes, one of the twin daughters identified Daryl Williams based on body type and his history of obsessively checking their apartment and his boyfriend’s apartment. They also reported seeing him with a mask and a gun.
Chat with AI
Loading...
Pro features
Go deeper with this episode
Unlock creator-grade tools that turn any transcript into show notes and subtitle files.