Birmingham woman says she ‘snapped,’ shot boyfriend 3 times after he ended relationship following park meetup

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - A Birmingham woman remains free on a $100,000 bond after a grand jury indicted her in connection with the deadly November 2025 shooting of her boyfriend, a crime she allegedly confessed to committing after he broke up with her following a sexual meetup in a park.

The grand jury indicted Bonita Yvette Brown, 64, on murder charges for the shooting death of 64-year-old Thomas Williams in the Powderly community.

According to Jefferson County District Court records, Birmingham Police first discovered Williams’ body on Nov. 3, 2025, lying in the roadway near the intersection of Maple Avenue and 17th Street Southwest. Responding officers found no shell casings or cell phone on the victim at the scene.

Investigating detectives utilized phone records and smart watch data to determine Williams had been in contact with Brown immediately before his death. License plate-reading Flock safety cameras also captured Brown’s vehicle traveling in the area shortly before and after the shooting.

During post-arrest questioning, Brown allegedly confirmed she was dating Williams and confessed to meeting him in a park for sex. Court documents stated Brown told investigators that when Williams ended their relationship immediately afterward, she “snapped” and shot him three times.

Brown further admitted to taking Williams’ cell phone and discarding it near the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport before stopping at a grocery store and returning home, records show. She later cooperated with detectives, identifying the location of the firearm and spent shell casings inside her residence, where police recovered them.

During a pretrial detention hearing on Dec. 3, 2025, prosecutors argued Brown should be held without bond under Aniah’s Law, citing the nature of the crime and noting she had been placed on suicide watch. Her defense attorney, Mike Shores, argued for her release, noting Brown has no prior criminal record, suffers from multiple chronic health issues, and serves as the primary caretaker for her daughter.

Jefferson County District Judge Tiara Y. Hudson denied the state’s no-bond request, ruling that prosecutors failed to prove that no conditions of release could reasonably protect the public or guarantee her appearance in court. Hudson set Brown’s bond at $100,000 under the conditions that she surrender all firearms and submit to bi-weekly monitoring.

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