Tennessee Woman Sentenced to 30 Years for Shooting Church's Chicken Worker in Memphis

Monica Williams, 47, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder after killing employee Anitra West during a drive-thru dispute over unpaid food.

Memphis Woman Gets 30-Year Prison Sentence in Church's Chicken Drive-Thru Murder

Monica Williams, 47, was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison for the fatal shooting of Church's Chicken employee Anitra West, 48, following a drive-thru argument over an unpaid food order, the Shelby County District Attorney's Office announced. Law & Crime reports that Williams pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

The incident occurred shortly after 9 p.m. on July 8, 2024, at a Church's Chicken location in Memphis, Tennessee. According to a probable cause arrest affidavit, West and Williams became embroiled in a heated exchange in the drive-thru after Williams refused to pay for her order.

"I will kill you," Williams — who had purple hair at the time — shouted at West during the confrontation.

West stepped outside afterward to cool down and called a friend. While on the phone, she told the friend that the woman with the purple hair had just pulled back into the parking lot. The friend later told police she heard a single gunshot, followed by the screams of other employees.

Officers arriving at the scene found West with a gunshot wound to the head. She was transported to a hospital, where she later died.

Memphis police released photos of the suspect and the vehicle involved. The car's owner contacted investigators and told them she had been with her 10-year-old son when Williams asked whether they were hungry. The group had coupons for Church's Chicken and went through the drive-thru together, placing two orders. The owner said the employee appeared to grow upset, so they opted to drop one of the orders to ease the tension. The situation turned heated, though no physical altercation occurred.

Williams drove the woman and her son home and said she planned to stop at a store to buy chips. She later returned home but said nothing about the shooting. The vehicle's owner called police after recognizing the car on the news.

Williams was initially charged with first-degree murder before entering a plea agreement for the lesser charge of second-degree murder.

West's mother, Anthonette Stevens, spoke to local NBC affiliate WMC about her daughter's dedication to her work. "Her standards for working are being there, being on time, and doing what she needs to do," Stevens said. "Being there for the customers and also her employees — she didn't want to leave people in a lurch all the time. Working in food service is difficult, but she never seemed to tire of it, just kept doing it and doing it."

Source: Law & Crime