ST. LOUIS — A 21-year-old man is the second person convicted in connection with a shooting that left a young mother dead nearly four years ago.
A St. Louis jury found Eric Jordan Williams guilty of second-degree murder, first-degree assault and multiple gun charges in connection with the death of 20-year-old Joyce Freeman.
On the morning of Nov. 23, 2020, police responded to the 3900 block of South Broadway for a shooting. This is near the border of the Dutchtown and Marine Villa neighborhoods.
When officers arrived, they found 20-year-old Joyce Freeman inside a car with a gunshot wound. She was rushed to an area hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Police said the shooting happened a few blocks away on the 3900 block of Minnesota Avenue, the same block where Freeman lived.
According to the probable cause statement, Freeman was preparing to head to a doctor appointment, with her 4-day-old son and boyfriend, when a Nissan Sentra drove by and fired shots at their car.
The victims tried to drive away from the area when the Nissan reappeared on Broadway. Two people were hanging out of the passenger side windows and continued firing shots at the victim’s car.
Freeman's son and boyfriend were not injured in the shooting.
Williams was 17 at the time of the shooting.
This was the second time the case against Williams went to trial. The jury in the first trial could not reach a verdict. That trial was held in April of this year.
His accomplice, Steven Washington, was convicted in 2022. He was sentenced to life in prison.
A third person, Deyontez Huntley, was acquitted on similar charges in March.
