Authorities in North Carolina have made an arrest in the case of 25-year-old Heather Williams, who was reported missing on Jan. 4 and later found dead in a wooded area near Newark Ave. and State Ave. The Fayetteville Police Department (FPD) announced that Tyrell Jaquez Siermons, 30, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with Williams' death.
Williams was last seen getting into a light-colored, four-door sedan on Berkshire Road just before 10 p.m. on the night she went missing. The FPD Homicide Unit, with the help of the Violent Criminal Apprehension Team, apprehended Siermons following an investigation.
Siermons has a history of criminal offenses in Cumberland County, including charges of attempted first-degree murder, attempted kidnapping, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and more. He was on probation in North Carolina when he was charged with first-degree murder in connection with Williams' death.
While the FPD did not comment on the relationship between the suspect and the victim, they revealed that the vehicle Williams was last seen entering on Jan. 4 led them to Siermons. Williams, who had a cognitive impairment due to a previous accident, was reportedly in contact with a man she met on Facebook around the time of her disappearance.
Heather's sister, Mary Williams, shared that she contacted the man from Heather's phone log, who confirmed that the car picking her up was the same one. Mary believes this man to be Siermons. The suspect is currently being held at the Cumberland County Detention Center without bond.
The arrest of Siermons brings some closure to the tragic case of Heather Williams, as authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding her disappearance and death.
