Person of Interest Surrenders in Beating Death of NYC Mom Before Her Daughter

Tiliek Shamel Thompson, 41, turned himself in Saturday in the killing of Lovay Williams, 27, who was beaten to death in her Washington Heights home.

Man surrenders to police in death of Manhattan mother found by 7-year-old daughter

A person of interest in the death of a Manhattan woman beaten to death in her own home has turned himself in to police, his attorney told NY Post Metro on Saturday.

Tiliek Shamel Thompson, 41, surrendered at the 33rd Precinct station house in Washington Heights in connection with the killing of Lovay Williams, 27. His lawyer, Neville Dexter, confirmed the handover. "He's at the precinct right now," Dexter said.

Dexter noted that social media users had been naming Thompson in connection with the case, but urged caution. "Everybody should reserve judgment. We don't know what happened," he said. Dexter did not indicate how his client intends to plead. A police source confirmed that Thompson has been identified by investigators as a "person of interest," not a suspect.

Officers discovered Williams' body on September 6, after responding to a wellness check at her home on 156th Street near Amsterdam Avenue shortly after 1:30 p.m. Her 7-year-old daughter, De'lani, was in the home at the time.

Williams' brother, Nuquan Williams — a state corrections officer — described the killing as "horrific" and called on whoever is responsible to come forward. "Man up to the things you did," he said. "You don't deserve to walk the streets and enjoy life when you took a life."

He said his niece is holding up in the days since her mother's body was found. "She's holding up strong," he said. "She hasn't freaked out or anything like that. She's such a sweet girl." He added that family members have been buying her toys and distracting her, but acknowledged that at her age she may not yet grasp the full weight of what has happened. "I don't think she's emotionally intelligent enough to process what's actually going on yet, being that she's so young."

Of his sister, Nuquan Williams said: "She was the best mom, and no one could ever compare to her. This is such a big loss for us."

Asia Walker, who identified herself as Williams' "God sister," wept Saturday while tying green balloons to a makeshift memorial outside the apartment building where the 27-year-old died. She said Thompson's surrender would bring her some relief. "Honestly, I know we ain't gotta worry about him hurting nobody else and my niece can be at ease," Walker, 33, said. "Tomorrow will be a little better for me. I could sleep at night."

Walker said she and her family had known Thompson for some time, making the circumstances all the more difficult to understand. "It's confusing to me because we knew this man for too long," she said. "I don't even know what caused this. I can't remember her saying they even argued before."

The family has launched a GoFundMe page to raise funds for De'lani.

Source: NY Post Metro