Johnston County man pleads guilty 4 months after domestic violence murder
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- Jerry Ross Williams pleaded guilty to murder, attempted murder and firearm possession.
- Williams was sentenced to life in prison for killing Princess Russell in March.
- Russell’s 18-year-old son survived being shot after jumping from a second-story window.
Four months after a Johnston County woman was fatally shot and her son jumped out of a window to save himself, her killer pleaded guilty to all charges against him.
Jerry Ross Williams, 42, was sentenced Thursday to life in prison without the possibility of parole on charges of murder, attempted murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in the March 13 killing of Princess Russell District Attorney Jason Waller said.
Williams shot Russell, 41, seven times in their Clayton home just before 3 a.m. while her 18-year-old son and a 10-year-old child were inside, The News & Observer previously reported. The 18-year-old also was shot, but survived after jumping out of a second-story window.
Williams surrendered to Johnston County Sheriff’s Office deputies after calling 911 to confess and asked deputies not to shoot him, The N&O reported.
The couple had a history of domestic conflict and were arguing before the killing, investigators wrote in search warrants. Deputies had been called to the home in April 2024 after Williams threatened to kill Russell for calling 911 and hurt himself. He was briefly involuntarily committed to the hospital for treatment.
In a news release, Waller said he hoped the sentence could offer a way forward for the family.
“While no sentence can ever restore the life that was taken or erase the trauma inflicted on this family, we hope today’s resolution provides them with a measure of justice and allows them to begin moving forward,” Waller said in a news release.
