HOUSTON – A man who was found guilty Monday for the 2021 murder of a 71-year-old woman in east Harris County has been sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Andrew Williams, 41, was convicted of capital murder in the death of Martha Medina.
What happened
On Sept. 23, 2021, Medina was run over and killed after being robbed of her purse at a McDonald’s restaurant, located at 430 Uvalde.
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“They grabbed her purse she fell toward the front of the car that was going out, and in a haste, in a hurry to get away, they ran over her,” Adrian Medina, the victim’s son, said.
She was taken to a nearby hospital where she died, HCSO said.
A McDonald’s employee who asked not to be identified said she stayed by the victims side during her final moments.
“I told her I’m going to pray for you and she said I’m grateful for that, I don’t want to die,” said the fast food employee.
Authorities said the suspect fled the scene in a dark-colored Chevrolet Impala with black rims.
Williams was already out on bond for previous murder
According to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, Williams was out on bond in connection to a previous capital murder, in 2019, when Medina was killed.
Court documents show that Williams shot and killed Chima Ogbonnaya with a firearm while attempting to rob another man. His bond was initially denied, but later granted at $150,000 on Jan. 2.
His previous capital murder case was being tried in Harris County.
Victim’s family responds to suspect’s sentencing
Liliana Medina, the victim’s daughter, said she feels satisfied but not happy because two families are still suffering from this incident. She said she also feels bad for Williams’ family because they are also victims.
“All I can say is that I feel satisfied. Do I feel happy? No. Because it’s two families that are still suffering,” Liliana Medina told KPRC 2 in Spanish. “Not only my family is still suffering, but I also feel bad for his (Williams’) family as well, because at the end, they’re also the victims.”