Tadarius Williams did a favor for his girlfriend on the night of April 9, 2022. He drove her from Milledgeville to Macon to pick up her brother, who had called in a panic. Less than an hour later, near New Clinton Road and Millerfield Road, Williams was shot in the back of the head from his own backseat. His car flipped. He never made it home.
On July 30, 2026, District Attorney Anita Howard announced that 26 year old Deshondre Octavius Liggins, the man Williams stopped to help, has been sentenced to 45 years, with 25 years to serve in prison, after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
“Tadarius Williams got in that car to help someone,” said District Attorney Anita Howard. “He didn’t get out alive. This sentence holds the defendant accountable for taking a young man’s life, and the conditions attached to it are built to keep this community safe long after he leaves prison. We will not stop pursuing justice for victims like Tadarius Williams.”
Liggins spent the two days before the shooting consumed by paranoia, convinced strangers were stalking him. On the night of April 9, he called his 18-year-old sister in distress. She and Williams, her boyfriend, drove to Macon to bring him home. Liggins climbed into the backseat of Williams’ car for the ride back to Milledgeville.
During the drive, at approximately 9:09 p.m., Liggins fired a handgun from the backseat, striking Williams in the back of the head. As Williams slumped over, his girlfriend tried to steer the car, but it veered off the road and flipped. Both siblings ran into the woods. Liggins was taken into custody at a nearby food mart later that night and has remained in custody ever since.
Liggins’ defense attorney asked the court for First Offender Status for his client. The State opposed, and the court agreed with the State. This sentence carries strict, long-term conditions: Liggins is permanently barred from returning to the Macon Judicial Circuit, including I-75; he may not possess firearms, alcohol, or unauthorized drugs; he may have no contact with Williams’ family; and he must complete a mental health evaluation and comply with any treatment or medication a physician prescribes going forward.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant Deputy Chief Jeremy B. Johnson.