Florida State Attorney Melissa Nelson announced that a Duval County jury has found Iris Williams guilty of two counts of Second-Degree Murder, Kidnapping with a Firearm, Tampering with Evidence, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. The charges stem from the October 2023 murders of Charles Watkins and Thomas Harris and the kidnapping of their elderly mother. Williams now faces a potential life sentence in Florida State Prison. Sentencing will be determined by the Honorable Anthony Salem at a later date.
On October 18, 2023, in the early morning hours, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in Northwest Jacksonville after receiving a call from the victims’ elderly mother. She reported that both of her sons had been shot and that she had been held hostage.
Responding officers found Watkins sitting in a chair with a single gunshot wound to the head. He later died at the hospital. Harris was found deceased in a bedroom, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
According to testimony, the mother heard gunshots around 9 p.m. the previous evening. When she stepped into the hallway, Harris told her, “She shot me,” referring to Williams, the longtime girlfriend of Watkins. Williams then shot Harris again while he was lying in bed, pointed the firearm at the mother, and told her, “we got to go.”
Williams forced the mother to drive her to a motel, where she was held for hours. During the drive, Williams admitted to shooting Watkins and disposed of the weapon on a bridge. She also attempted to persuade the mother to lie to police.
Upon returning home the following morning, the mother called 911, leading to Williams’ arrest.
The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Jay Plotkin and Crystal Ganpath-Freed.
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