Darryl Williams

Summary

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Overview of the Episode

Episode Title: Darryl Williams
Podcast: Snapped: Women Who Murder
Original Air Date: November 2, 2025
Host: Oxygen (narrated-style, true crime format)

This intense episode recounts the Halloween-night murder of Tiffany James in Brandon, Florida, and the investigation that ultimately leads to the arrest and conviction of her ex-fiancé, Darryl Williams. The narrative delves into the complexities of Tiffany's life, the fraught relationships surrounding her, and the dogged police work that cracked the case. Deeply personal interviews and haunting witness testimony highlight the impact of the crime on Tiffany’s family, especially her seven-year-old twin daughters.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Crime on Halloween Night

• Setting: October 31, 2015, Brandon, FL.

• Incident: Tiffany James, a single mother, is attacked and fatally shot by a masked assailant outside her neighbor’s apartment at around 11 pm. Witnesses initially assume it’s a Halloween prank, but quickly learn it’s a true tragedy ([03:20–04:01]).

  “She realizes this is real. This isn’t a Halloween prank.”
  — Witness/Neighbor ([03:42])

• Immediate Aftermath: Tiffany’s twin daughters, covered in blood, seek help from a neighbor. Police and paramedics arrive, but Tiffany is pronounced dead at the hospital.

  “They both had blood all over their costume and in their hair and on their face. One of them, I can’t remember which one, couldn’t even talk… It’s heartbreaking.”
  — Narrator ([11:38])

2. Background on Tiffany James and Her Life

• Early Life: Tiffany faced adversity from a young age, growing up largely without her biological father and establishing close family ties via her siblings.
• Motherhood & Relationships: Tiffany became a mother early, eventually giving birth to twin girls with Darryl Williams. She separated from Darryl after years of escalating conflict ([07:32–09:02]).
• Recent Developments: Tiffany recently started a new relationship, sparking jealousy and tension with Darryl, particularly as a contentious custody battle over their daughters unfolded.

3. The Investigation Unfolds

• Scene Evidence: Detectives find little physical evidence besides shotgun shells, which leads them to suspect a personal motive rather than a robbery ([11:59–12:23]).

• Key Suspects: Investigators quickly focus on two people in Tiffany’s life—her current boyfriend (alibied) and Darryl Williams, the twins’ father ([17:22–18:16]).

• Pattern of Violence: Darryl’s daughter and others describe him as controlling and violent, with past threats documented against women in his life, including Tiffany.

  “She said, if something’s happened to Tiffany, then my father is your prime suspect.”
  — Darryl’s Daughter ([12:35], [23:10])

• Darryl’s Motive: Recent custody victory for Tiffany and the requirement that Darryl pay child support, while he already owed substantial amounts, are highlighted as likely triggers ([24:19–24:42]).

4. The Role of Rosalind (Darryl’s Girlfriend)

• Alibi & Lies: Rosalind, Darryl’s new girlfriend, initially provides him an alibi. Cell phone records later contradict her story, placing her near Tiffany’s apartment at the time of the murder ([33:13]).

  “After we got the records, what we knew definitely was the story that Rosalind had given us was not the truth… her cell phone was inside of Tiffany’s apartment complex.”
  — Detective ([33:13])

• Breaking the Story: Under pressure, Rosalind admits she drove Darryl to Tiffany's apartment that night, saw him put on a mask and retrieve a gun, and then drove away as he attacked Tiffany ([36:20–37:06]).

• Immunity Offered: Ultimately, prosecutors grant Rosalind limited immunity for her truthful testimony.

5. The Children’s Trauma and Testimony

• Forensic Interviews: Tiffany’s twins are interviewed in a child-friendly environment. One is too traumatized to speak, while the other provides crucial details, identifying the shooter as her father by body type and behavior ([31:14–32:12]).

  “She believed that it was her father based on his body type and the fact that he’s always fussing with her mother.”
  — Narrator ([32:02])

• Fears for Their Safety: Darryl had reportedly been stalking Tiffany and her boyfriend, even hiring a private investigator ([32:12]).

6. Arrest and Plea Deal

• Arrest: Police arrest Darryl at work in a surprise operation ([38:28–38:58]).

• Prosecution’s Dilemma: With Rosalind as a shaky witness and the trauma posed to the daughters if forced to testify, prosecutors negotiate a plea deal ([41:12–41:17]).

• Sentencing: Darryl Williams pleads guilty in exchange for a 20-year sentence, avoiding a life term or the death penalty ([41:17]).

  “Darrell Williams accepted a plea deal for 20 years in prison in lieu of life.”
  — Detective ([41:17])

• Motivation Revealed: Inmate testimony later confirms Darryl's motive—jealousy and a possessive sense of control.

  “He killed her because she wouldn’t take him back, and that if he can’t have her, nobody else will.”
  — Narrator, quoting an inmate ([42:47])

7. The Aftermath

• Ongoing Trauma: The family expresses heartbreak, feeling justice wasn't fully served but agreeing that shielding the girls from further trauma was paramount ([42:36–44:42]).
• Rosalind: Never charged for her role; shielded by her immunity.
• Darryl’s Release Date: Scheduled to be released in 2035 ([45:02]).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Powerful Quotes with Timestamps:

• “I’m going to make sure that we find out who did this.”
  — Detective ([11:50])

• “If something’s happened to Tiffany, then my father is your prime suspect.”
  — Darryl’s Daughter ([12:35], [23:10])

• “She believed that it was her father based on his body type and the fact that he’s always fussing with her mother.”
  — Narrator ([32:02])

• “After we got the records, what we knew definitely was the story that Rosalind had given us was not the truth. Her cell phone was inside of Tiffany’s apartment complex.”
  — Detective ([33:13])

• “I don’t tell you the whole story because I was afraid for my life, because I know the capabilities of what could have happened to me and what still can happen to me. I just wanted to get that off my chest because I’m hurting, I’m scared, and I’m just here to do what it is.”
  — Forensic Interviewer quoting Rosalind ([39:52])

• “He killed her because she wouldn’t take him back, and that if he can’t have her, nobody else will.”
  — Narrator, quoting an inmate ([42:47])

• “Coward is too good of a word. It didn’t feel like justice. But to avoid any more damage to the girls … avoiding placing them on the stand … was the better alternative.”
  — Family Member ([42:12])

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:20–04:14] — Description of the crime and neighbors’ reactions
• [06:44–09:02] — Tiffany’s family background; relationship with Darryl
• [12:23–13:52] — Early investigation & suspicion focusing on close relations
• [23:10–24:02] — Darryl’s daughter’s warning to detectives
• [29:21–29:47] — Rosalind’s alibi begins to unravel
• [31:14–32:12] — Forensic interviews with Tiffany’s twins
• [33:13–36:04] — Cell phone evidence destroys Rosalind’s story
• [36:20–37:06] — Rosalind confesses to driving Darryl to the scene
• [41:12–41:17] — Plea deal and rationale
• [42:47–43:02] — Darryl’s motive, per jailhouse confession
• [44:28–44:42] — Family’s reflections, life after the murder

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Episode Takeaways

• The murder of Tiffany James was a brutal, premeditated act carried out in front of her children, inspired by jealousy and a controlling ex-partner.
• Investigators painstakingly pieced together evidence from traumatized witnesses, uncooperative participants, and digital records to build their case.
• The emotional trauma to the surviving children influenced the pursuit of a plea bargain, balancing the need for justice with compassion for the family.
• The case underscores the real-life dangers of domestic violence, manipulating relationships, and the ripple effects on families and communities, made all the more chilling by the Halloween setting.

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For listeners seeking insight into the complexities—personal, procedural, and emotional—that haunt domestic violence cases, this episode delivers an unflinching chronicle, offering both resolution and lingering heartbreak.

Transcript

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[Investigator]

On All Hallows Eve, a single mother becomes the target of a terrifying attack.

[Narrator]

There's a woman on the ground and somebody in a full Halloween costume holding a shotgun aiming it down at her.

[Witness/Neighbor]

This isn't a Halloween prank. This is a real murder.

[Investigator]

And two of the only witnesses are the victim's twin daughters.

[Narrator]

They both had blood all over their head costume and in their hair and on their face.

[Detective]

It put me in a place of resolve. I'm going to make sure that we find out who did this.

[Investigator]

The investigation uncovers evidence of a dangerous love triangle.

[Forensic Interviewer]

There is a history of violent behaviors that's often a trigger for an escalation.

[Narrator]

I knew it wasn't her that did the killing, but I knew she's involved somehow. What happened? Give it all to me and let me help you. I was afraid for my life.

[Detective]

We walked away going, she's not telling us the truth.

[Investigator]

But the monster demands control.

[Family Member]

As sick and twisted as it is, I think that was his ultimate vengeance.

[Witness/Neighbor]

They face a Real Life Boogeyman.

[Investigator]

October 31, 2015. It's a typical hectic Halloween in the town of Brandon, Florida, a suburb just east of Tampa.

[Narrator]

There's a lot of families, so Halloween is a time that would be very busy in the Brandon area.

[Witness/Neighbor]

You usually see groups of parents with their kids walking the neighborhood, going door to door, trick or treating.

[Investigator]

After handing out candy at her apartment complex all evening, a young woman is relaxing on her couch with a horror movie marathon. But around 11pm she gets a different kind of scare.

[Detective]

She said that she had heard a loud bang or a boom and she said her front door flew open.

[Family Member]

And.

[Narrator]

She jumps up startled. She goes over to look, there's a woman on the who she Recognized as her neighbor Tiffany James. And somebody in a full Halloween costume holding a shotgun, aiming it down at her.

[Witness/Neighbor]

She realizes this is real. This isn't a Halloween prank.

[Investigator]

Terrified, she immediately shuts the door. Seconds later, she hears three gunshots.

[Witness/Neighbor]

She's horrified. She can't believe this is happening right at her front door.

[Investigator]

But the terror isn't over yet.

[Witness/Neighbor]

She hears a knock at the door. Well, she's reluctant to open it, but when she does, she sees a terrified little girl covered in blood.

[Investigator]

The woman recognizes the little girl as Tiffany's daughter who lives a couple buildings down.

[Narrator]

They bring her in. And a short time after that, a second knock. And it's delighted girl's twin sister.

[Investigator]

The Neighbor keeps the seven year old girl safe while she calls 911. By that time, she isn't the only one.

[Witness/Neighbor]

The callers are clearly distressed and terrified, saying that there has been a shooting.

[Detective]

When the deputies arrived, there was an individual there, a black female who had significant trauma and what appeared to be gunshot injuries.

[Investigator]

Paramedics immediately rushed 35 year old Tiffany to Tampa General Hospital.

[Narrator]

You can only imagine what the horror would be like just to have that happen on any night. The idea that it would have happened on Halloween night and somebody's in a full Halloween costume was definitely unusual as well.

[Witness/Neighbor]

They face a real life boogeyman and they don't know what is going on. Who could have shot and killed this mother and done it in front of her two children on Halloween night?

[Investigator]

Tiffany James was born on August 18, 1980. From the beginning, her life was defined by adversity.

[Family Member]

Tiffany was my go to my sister. She's my dad's oldest child and that was from a previous relationship. She grew up in Tampa. My dad wasn't physically there because he was, you know, in games with us.

[Investigator]

In her teens, Tiffany went to live with family members.

[Family Member]

She ended up living with her aunt. I think there were other family members involved that was kind of helping her, you know, kind of raise her.

[Investigator]

It wasn't long before Tiffany started her own family. The year she graduated high school, she welcomed her first son. A few years later, she and her boyfriend welcomed another baby boy. But soon after, she found herself a single mother.

[Family Member]

They just grew up and grew apart. Whatever issues they may have had, if they even had any issues at all, they were set aside and they were there for the boys. I could definitely see how having your parents not so present in your upbringing, I felt like it made Tiffany like embed herself there and to let the kids know that she was there. She Was working in some medical office. She had her family and she was going to take care of them.

[Investigator]

As she worked to establish a life with her two young boys, Tiffany still dreamed of having a complete family. Around 2008, she met Darryl Williams, 14 years her senior. Darryl also had older children from previous relationships.

[Witness/Neighbor]

She fell in love with Daryl right after they ended up having children together. They had two twin girls. A few years after the girls were born, they decided, you know what, let's get married. They connected in a deeper level and so things were moving along in their relationship.

[Investigator]

By the late 2000s, Tiffany's family had grown even larger. After more than two decades, she finally met her half siblings for the first time.

[Family Member]

It wasn't until right as I was turning a teenager, you know, my dad was like, you know, y' all got a sister, you know, type of thing. I remember her coming up for something. I don't know if it was one of my nephew's birthday or something like that. Tiffany was a light. She was a light. She had this big old beautiful smile. She had all four of her kids at that point. My younger sisters, they didn't grow up in the house with the older sister. I think they clicked the quickest.

[Investigator]

While Tiffany's newfound connection with her family thrived, her relationship with Darryl wasn't as strong.

[Family Member]

I remember she called me and that's when I knew it wasn't what it was cracked up to be or what it appeared to be. She just said that ever since they got engaged, I guess things started, I don't know, for lack of a better term, deteriorating.

[Investigator]

After five years, they'd split up and Tiffany was once again a single mother to her boys and seven year old twins.

[Family Member]

I felt like she embraced it all. Hella high water. She was gonna be, she was gonna provide for her kids. Tiffany was, she was ambitious. She was in school for, I think esthetician or cosmetology. She had that entrepreneurial spirit where she wanted to own her own salon. Tiffany found her strength, you know, kicking the dirt off her boots and mo.

[Investigator]

In the summer of 2015, Tiffany unexpectedly bumped into an old friend she'd met at a party years before.

[Witness/Neighbor]

He's a single dad with kids of his own and they strike up a friendship. But things continue to grow between the two.

[Detective]

He and Tiffany had never been romantic until after she ended it with Darryl. And then just in the last few months, their friendship had developed into a relationship. He thought she was a wonderful mom.

[Family Member]

Felt like Tiffany was like she was relieved. She was trying to, you know, she Was trying to find a path forward. They were friends for a while before they even took it that route. So, yeah, just felt like she was. She wasn't looking back. Her friend was the path forward for her.

[Investigator]

Now her bright future has been cut short. Doctors are trying to save Tiffany's life after she was shot by a masked gunman outside of a neighbor's apartment on Halloween.

[Detective]

Her injuries were significant. She had significant head trauma. We knew that with the type of injury that Ms. James had that it was not just a handgun that had caused that injury. She had to have been shot with a devastating weapon.

[Investigator]

Tragically, her wounds are too severe.

[Narrator]

They pronounce Tiffany James deceased at the hospital. To my recollection, it's the only Halloween murder I've ever had and I was in homicide for almost 14 years.

[Investigator]

Homicide detectives are immediately called to the scene.

[Detective]

I personally had been out that night with my wife and my children. We had gone trick or treating like we always do. And when we were getting settled was when I got the phone call. I was on the way. There is when I learned that there were actually kids involved.

[Investigator]

Inside the neighbor's apartment, they find Tiffany's twin girls sheltering with the neighbor.

[Narrator]

They both had blood all over their costume and in their hair and on their face. One of them, I can't remember which one couldn't even talk. She would try and there was no voice coming out. It's heartbreaking.

[Detective]

It put me in a place of resolve. I'm going to make sure that we find out who did this.

[Investigator]

But other than shotgun shells outside, investigators find little evidence to work with.

[Detective]

The deputies immediately began to think that this is probably not a robbery. Nothing was going through the purse. This is not somebody who just showed up and wanted to take money from Ms. James. It was something.

[Investigator]

Coming up. The list of suspects includes Tiffany's most trusted loved ones.

[Narrator]

He's got a firearm with him inside the garage.

[Investigator]

But one name rises to the top.

[Detective]

She said, if something's happened to Tiffany, then my father is your prime suspect.

[Investigator]

Just before midnight on Halloween, Tampa detectives are investigating the murder of 35 year old Tiffany James.

[Witness/Neighbor]

All they knew is they had someone dressed as Jason with a mask on who shot and killed a woman in front of her children on Halloween night.

[Detective]

When you have a scene that doesn't have a lot of physical evidence, you begin to have to rely on what people tell you.

[Investigator]

While officers track down Tiffany's family, one of the first people detectives talk to is Tiffany's neighbor who witnessed the shooting.

[Forensic Interviewer]

I heard a bang and the Door flew open, and I ran to the door, and the woman was laying on the ground and the male was pointing the shotgun down at her. I didn't see his face. He had on a white mask and he had on black clothes.

[Narrator]

You realize the magnitude and the difficulties that you're about to deal with because they're in a complete costume from head to toe. Race, you know, hair, anything like that is really out the window because they're completely covered up.

[Detective]

Maybe the individual picked Halloween because he thought he could get away with it. Somebody had to have planned this to conceal themselves so that they could carry out this attack. He wouldn't stand out walking around in a Halloween mask.

[Narrator]

What time do you think this was?

[Forensic Interviewer]

I want to say that was at 11 o'.

[Family Member]

Clock.

[Detective]

And then you hear a nudge up against the door, and then a little.

[Forensic Interviewer]

Like, cry, a cry.

[Detective]

And then you open it and you see the little child.

[Investigator]

While detectives interview the neighbor, additional deputies are canvassing the area for more information.

[Narrator]

I was watching a movie with my girlfriend, and then I heard, with this big sound. It was like a gunshot. And then I stopped the movie.

[Forensic Interviewer]

So I heard a child, like, screaming.

[Detective]

There was a couple neighbors that did see an individual who was dressed in all black running from the area.

[Narrator]

They both described the same person. Stature, about 5, 7 to 6 foot, 200, 220 pounds. They said definitely a male. But they could not see race. They could not see anything other than his full outfit and his body type.

[Detective]

As terrible as this may sound, the community itself was glad it had kind of happened later in the evening, because just two hours before that, the complex had been filled with kids walking around, going door to door, collecting candy and trick or treating.

[Investigator]

Neighbors say they also noticed a strange car outside the building around the time of the shooting.

[Detective]

It was a silver sedan. They said that the car had left very quickly after the first gunshot. They didn't know if that was somebody that may be related or involved in this. But what we could tell in talking to those neighbors about when the car left and in communicating with the other neighbors who saw someone running, that the car had definitely left after the individual was seen running away.

[Investigator]

Unfortunately, no one saw a license plate for the silver car, and there are no security cameras at the apartment complex.

[Detective]

We got back together as detectives, and we kind of decided, what do we need to do next in a case like this? It's what can we do for these two girls? Now, part of the job of law enforcement is to wear many hats anytime that you have children involved. I think most law Enforcement officers take on that hat of protector.

[Narrator]

The daughters had given phone numbers to the neighbor where the incident happened, and they called family members. So family members had showed up at the scene.

[Detective]

We needed to get the girls out of the neighbor's apartment. We didn't want to expose them to crime scene other than what they've already had seen. And so what we did was we put blankets over their heads, and we brought them out with blankets covering so they couldn't see any of the blood. We went ahead and got them safe and secure with the grandmother, and we began to talk to Tiffany's sister.

[Investigator]

Tiffany's sister tells investigators there are two prominent men in Tiffany's life. Her current boyfriend and the father of her twins, Darrell Williams.

[Detective]

We learn that that Tiffany and Daryl had been together for seven or eight years, and throughout the relationship, there had been issues. And finally Tiffany called it quits with him because Darryl was known to have other girlfriends. Now we have a couple of different options. Two most important people that we decided we wanted to talk to was the current boyfriend that Tiffany was seeing, as well as we want to speak to Darryl, the ex. With that, it was determined that we would divide and conquer.

[Narrator]

Myself and Detective Blair. We get to the boyfriend's residence. It's about four in the morning at this point.

[Detective]

When I got there, I was immediately met with something that was a little bit shocking to me.

[Narrator]

His garage door is open. He's got a truck sitting in the driveway, and he's pacing back and forth inside the garage. He tells us he's been waiting for us. He knew we were coming because the family had called him to tell him what happened. He's got a firearm with him inside the garage. He's in a state of serious stress, but defense mode as well. He doesn't feel safe sitting at home. So we just pulled out a digital recorder where we could record everything that was said, and we conducted the interview right there in the garage. We're sitting here, and I'm looking to your left, and you've got a handgun in its case next to you that you had already pulled out just in case somebody came to do you harm or do your kids harm.

[Detective]

Correct?

[Family Member]

Yes.

[Forensic Interviewer]

Tiffany's boyfriend was likely experiencing extreme regret and wondering what he could have or should have done to protect her, possibly.

[Detective]

I've dealt with lots of people throughout my career, and I could tell that he was just flat scared. He was trying to get his kids away from his house because he didn't know if he was going to be next.

[Investigator]

Tiffany's boyfriend Tells investigators he went trick or treating with her and the twins. They planned on meeting at his apartment after changing out of their costumes, but Tiffany never showed.

[Detective]

Tell me about tonight. Was anything said tonight?

[Narrator]

Was she nervous about anything?

[Family Member]

She was happy that the girls had a good time.

[Detective]

Trick or treat.

[Narrator]

Do you know of any issues that she's had with anybody else?

[Family Member]

Yes, her kid's father.

[Narrator]

He believed that Daryl had been following him throughout the night. I think he really kind of just tried to stay away from him. And what kind of vehicle is that?

[Family Member]

All black, dark tint, and it had a Jason mask hanging on the rear mirror.

[Narrator]

So this is definitely something that's. That's got you on alert.

[Family Member]

Oh.

[Detective]

After talking to Tiffany's boyfriend, we felt that he had no involvement in the case, but it had become very apparent was we needed to speak to Daryl.

[Narrator]

He believed that Daryl had been following him, and he believed it based on the vehicle and the white mask that Daryl had hanging from his mirror, which we believe there was a mask that the suspect had on that night of the incident.

[Detective]

We didn't have enough information to call him the suspect, but what we did have enough for was to absolutely have a very hard conversation with him.

[Narrator]

Wednesday on NBC. One Chicago is back with three can't miss hours. Let's roll. Chicago fire and pd. We run toward the danger, not away from it. With everyday heroes risking it all and unforgettable emotional moments on and off the job. You don't want to miss Chicago. Wednesday, we made a vow to protect this city. One night, one family, one Chicago. Gear up. We're going in hard. Wednesday on NBC. Law and Order Thursday on NBC. Go police.

[Family Member]

Freeze.

[Narrator]

First on law and order, justice hangs in the balance. Are we gonna let Achilles are walk free? Then on svu, Kelly Gittish is back as sergeant Rollins.

[Investigator]

I'm ready to work.

[Narrator]

And Benson means business.

[Investigator]

My job is taking care of victims.

[Narrator]

And on organized crime, Stabler infiltrates a dangerous gang. I'll do what needs to be done. Law and Order Thursday on NBC.

[Investigator]

The Hillsborough county sheriff's department has ruled out Tiffany James, current boyfriend, as a suspect in her murder. They quickly move down the list to her ex, Daryl Williams. On November 1st, investigators stop by Daryl's home to interview him, but he's not there.

[Narrator]

We break up into teams. Detectives make contact with the neighbors who give us a description of the vehicles that are routinely at the house.

[Detective]

One of the things that we observed was a dark in color suv. It was similar to the one that Tiffany's boyfriend had described to us. That he had seen following him. Darrell also had a couple of other vehicles. He had a green sedan and a gold sedan.

[Investigator]

No one mentions the silver car that witnesses saw fleeing the murder scene.

[Narrator]

As we're sitting on the house waiting for Darryl, his daughter comes home. And we interview the daughter. We let her know while we're there and that we're looking for her father and that Tiffany James had been murder was upset. One of her first questions was about the daughters, because those are her sisters, and she wanted to know if they were okay.

[Detective]

One of the things that she told us that really caught our attention, she said, I know what my father is capable of. She said, if something's happened to Tiffany, then my father is your prime suspect.

[Narrator]

And I'm like, well, why would you say, Explain to me why you said that? And she tells us a story about how her father. It's his way or no way. And that she remembers when her father pulled out a gun and aimed it at her mother's face.

[Investigator]

It seems Darryl's relationship with Tiffany had become equally volatile after their breakup.

[Forensic Interviewer]

Darryl's daughter explains her father as a very controlling man that has a history of violent behaviors. When Tiffany ended her relationship with him, that's often a trigger for an escalation of these behaviors.

[Narrator]

He had come and harassed her at work. There was some ammonia poured in her gas tank of one of her cars. She believed it was Daryl that did that. They'd been in court several times. There was just a constant tension and stress between the two of them.

[Investigator]

The day before the murder, Darryl and Tiffany's legal conflict reached a crescendo.

[Witness/Neighbor]

The twin girls. There was a custody battle going on between the two, and they were in and out of court.

[Family Member]

The outcome was, you know, they awarded custody to Tiffany, and I'm pretty sure he was pissed about it.

[Detective]

The courts had sided with her for him to help financially. And now we have an individual that may be upset with Tiffany about the fact that he's going to have to pay her for the next 15 or 16 years. This was just creating more and more issues for him.

[Narrator]

The daughter, she had not heard from him since earlier on Halloween. She found out to be a bit unusual because she said they were very close, and they always keep in contact, and she always knows where he is, and he always knows where she is.

[Investigator]

While officers watch the house, detectives have Darryl's records pulled and go to speak with the manager at the chemical plant where he works.

[Detective]

The records were telling us he owed over $100,000 in back child.

[Narrator]

Child support for all these children that he had from the different women.

[Detective]

When we went and talked to his place of employment, the first thing they told us which was most important for this case was the fact that he was not at work on Halloween. In fact, he was known to work day and night shifts. They described him as a hard worker, always willing to work overtime. When they called late to ask for somebody he hadn't been available for for that night.

[Investigator]

It's another red flag for investigators, as is the fact that Daryl's employers aren't surprised he's a potential murder suspect.

[Detective]

One of the individuals indicated flat out he found Daryl to be explosive at times.

[Narrator]

He threatened people. There were people that were scared of him. He was very combative with people, very combative with management.

[Detective]

He didn't have a very good relationship with any of his female bosses. He felt that he was better than them. He felt like he needed to control them.

[Investigator]

Based on the information gathered so far, the Hillsborough Sheriff's Department puts out an APB on Darrell's primary vehicle, a gold Camry.

[Narrator]

A couple days after the alert is issued, A neighbor reports the vehicle is at a residence in the Claremill area, which is just east of Tampa and just a few miles away from Tiffany James house.

[Investigator]

Arriving at the location, detectives find out that the house is owned by Daryl's latest girlfriend, Rosalind. Parked outside, they find a gold Camry and a silver sedan matching the description of the one witnessed at the scene.

[Detective]

She said that the relationship was fairly new. They were still in that dating stage. When we asked her if she knew where Darryl was, she indicated that he had gone to get himself a lawyer. When we heard this, we thought that that was very interesting. Although getting a lawyer doesn't indicate one's guilt or innocence. We're all afforded the right to counsel here in the United States, but we hadn't notified him that he was a suspect.

[Investigator]

Twenty minutes later, investigators get a call from Darrell's attorney.

[Narrator]

When I learned that the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office would be involved, I placed a call to the detective and told him I, at that point in time, was in contact with Mr. Williams and that they were not to talk to him under any circumstances.

[Investigator]

However, those instructions don't seem to apply to Rosalind.

[Narrator]

She called one of our other detectives the next day and said that she was ready to talk to him, and they went and did a formal interview with her.

[Detective]

Everything that she told us about Darryl was 100% different than we had been told by everybody else at that point. She told us that he was not controlling that he was loving, that he was caring. She specifically told us that Daryl had no issues with the twins mother, Tiffany. When we asked her where she had been and where she and Daryl had been on Halloween, she told us very clearly. She said that she and Daryl had been together.

[Narrator]

She says that Daryl came to her house around 7 o' clock after work. They sat on the porch, watched trick or treaters, they had a couple beers. She sat on his lap.

[Detective]

She said that at some point early in the evening, Daryl decided he was tired and he wanted to go to bed. She said that he went inside and laid down.

[Investigator]

Rosalynn says she left for a few hours to get food and run errands. When she got back, Darryl was still there.

[Detective]

She said that when she left earlier in the Evening, sometime around 7:30 or 8, Darryl was asleep on the couch. She said when she came back sometime around 9:30, 10 o', clock, Darryl was asleep on the couch. When she returned at one o', clock, Darryl was still asleep inside the house.

[Narrator]

During none of the travel was she ever alleged and in story to have gone to Tiffany James residence or anywhere near Tiffany James residence.

[Detective]

After she told us this story and we began to think about well, how can we prove or disprove the story? It didn't make sense. We walked away going she's not telling us the truth.

[Investigator]

Coming up, two brave young girls describe the horror they witnessed on Halloween.

[Detective]

As much as it was a good statement for our case, I almost dreaded it.

[Investigator]

And detectives grow tired of one woman's tricks.

[Detective]

We know you know what happened, so either give it up or get the.

[Narrator]

Out of my office.

[Investigator]

It's been two days since Tiffany James was murdered in front of her seven year old twins. Now with the help of a forensic interviewer, detectives are hoping the girls might be able to confirm the identity of the killer.

[Forensic Interviewer]

Hillsborough county has a child advocacy center where they can take children who have been victims or witnesses to situations. And it is an environment in which is a much more kid friendly, especially compared to a police station.

[Detective]

The first twin that was interviewed, she started off real strong when the interviewer was talking to her about generic things not specific to the incident or anything like that. She was fine, she was talkative.

[Narrator]

But as soon as it started to get a little bit into the what happened that night? She really broke down and just started crying and wanted to leave.

[Forensic Interviewer]

Having to discuss something so soon after something traumatic has happened can be very difficult and lead to just shutting down and not being able to discuss any kind of details.

[Detective]

The second twin, the forensic interviewer started talking to her. She opened up. She talked very clearly about what had happened that night. She gave us a couple little pieces of information that became very important.

[Narrator]

She was articulate, and she spoke about what she saw. She believed that it was her father based on his body type and the fact that he's always fussing with her mother.

[Forensic Interviewer]

The twins also reported that they saw their father having pictures of the inside of their apartment as well as Tiffany's boyfriend's apartment. The second daughter explained that he had said that was obtained by a private investigator hired by Daryl in an attempt to further stalk Tiffany and the family.

[Detective]

As much as it was a good statement for our case, I almost dreaded it because I didn't want to have to have those little girls get up on a stand later on and have to testify against their own father.

[Investigator]

With the information from Tiffany's daughters and Darryl's older daughter, investigators know Rosalind has to be covering for her new boyfriend. On November 6, investigators subpoena her phone records to find out if she's lying. Three days later, they get the answer.

[Detective]

After we got the records, what we knew definitely was the story that Rosalind had given us was not the truth. Her cell phone was nowhere near where she said she had been on the night of Halloween. More importantly, what we noticed was that cell phone was inside of Tiffany's apartment complex.

[Narrator]

His girlfriend's body stature did not match, not even remotely close to what the witnesses were describing. So I knew it wasn't her that did the killing, but I knew she's involved somehow. So now the task on our hand is to try and break her down and get her to tell us what the truth is.

[Investigator]

On November 21, they make their movement.

[Detective]

At that point, we made contact with Rosalynn. This time, we didn't go to her house to interview her. This time, we brought her to our house and we interviewed her in our interview room.

[Narrator]

But just understand, this is voluntary. If you don't want to talk to me, you can stand up right now.

[Detective]

Walk out that door.

[Narrator]

Do me a favor. Just don't lie to me, okay?

[Forensic Interviewer]

Of course not.

[Narrator]

I laid out the evidence. I think I even may have shown her a map that we had plumbed plotting where her cell phone was. She's not where she says she was all night. Everything you said I can prove is not true. I can prove where you were. I can prove at what times you.

[Detective]

Were there, what happened on Halloween.

[Narrator]

Tell us, Russell. There's two little girls who witnessed this. At that point, she starts crying, literally drops out of the cell seat and rolls into a corner and just balls up into a ball and starts crying. What were you told? What happened? Give it all to me and let me help.

[Investigator]

But Rosalind still refuses to talk.

[Detective]

Either give it up or get the out of my office. That's it. At that point, she indicated she wanted to leave, and we let her leave. But we told her when she left, hey, we're keeping your car this time because we have reason to believe that your car was involved. We were looking for maybe a mask, some dark clothing, possibly ammunition, possibly a shotgun, maybe shotgun shells. What we found was nothing.

[Investigator]

On November 24, investigators give Rosalind one last chance to come clean.

[Narrator]

She was nervous, but she was trying to hide it, and she was trying to act like it was not that big of a deal to talk to us. When we got to the office and started the interview, that's where it all broke open and she just broke down and started crying.

[Detective]

Roslyn tells us on that night of Halloween that she did in fact drive Daryl to Tiffany's complex.

[Narrator]

She said that they were at the house. He asked her to take him to do something real quick. She says that she didn't really know what he was going to do. They drove over to the apartment complex, and they sat there waiting, and she was playing video games on her phone. When Tiffany pulled up, Darryl Williams got out of her car, put a mask on, and pulled what she described as a firearm from his waistband. At that point, she said she panicked and just drove off and left. She said she didn't know what to do. And when she got home, Daryl was there. She doesn't know how he got there.

[Detective]

Based on our experience already with Robert Roslyn, we still weren't 100% confident that she was telling us the complete truth. She's telling us that she left before there was any shooting, but our witness said that the vehicle left after the first shot.

[Investigator]

Rosalind might not be completely trustworthy, but prosecutors know she's the best chance they have of bringing Tiffany's killer to justice. They decide to offer Rosalind limited immunity in exchange for her testimony.

[Detective]

It gave her immunity for her involvement in that incident as long as she was honest about it. At that point, the state attorney went ahead and authorized us to obtain an arrest warrant for Darrell Williams, charging him with first degree premeditated Murray. We felt that probably the safest place for both Daryl and us was to arrest him at work. Due to the nature of his work and it being in a port facility. Whenever he gets to work, he has to Go through a security checkpoint. They check for weapons, they check for any type of firearms.

[Investigator]

When Daryl shows up this time, investigators are the ones wearing disguises.

[Detective]

A couple of us even dressed as workers there and waited for Daryl to arrive, and we surprised him.

[Investigator]

Nearly four weeks into the investigation of Tiffany James's murder, officers surprise her ex fiance, Darrell Williams, at one work, placing him under arrest for her murder.

[Detective]

Daryl didn't resist arrest. He didn't fight with us. He tried to pull away a little bit, but I think because he was shocked because someone dressed as a maintenance worker was arresting him. He didn't say anything. He just indicated he would talk to his attorney.

[Investigator]

As prosecutors prepare their case against Darrell, they bring in Rosalind one more time to make sure their star witness has her story straight.

[Narrator]

You actually saw him pull the trigger and heard the shot?

[Detective]

The first shot?

[Forensic Interviewer]

Yes, sir.

[Detective]

By this time, she indicated that not only had she driven Daryl there, she had also seen the gunshot, and she had actually witnessed Daryl shoot and kill Tiffany.

[Investigator]

Rosalind claims she lied because she was. Was afraid of Daryl and what he was capable of.

[Forensic Interviewer]

I don't tell you the whole story because I was afraid for my life, because I know the capabilities of what could have happened to me and what still can happen to me. I just wanted to get that off my chest because I'm hurting, I'm scared, and I'm just here to do what it is.

[Detective]

I believe that Rosalind went to great extremes to continue to lie to us for a couple of reasons. I don't think that she could accept the fact that she may have inadvertently participated in the murder of Tiffany. And Rosalind wanted to believe that Darryl was a great guy. She wanted to believe that this was going to be her future. This was going to be somebody that she was going to always be with.

[Investigator]

But Rosalynn's changing story comes causes further problems.

[Detective]

She had lied the first time, and we could understand why to a certain degree, it wasn't somebody that the prosecution was very excited about putting up on the stand because we were proving the fact that she was. She was willing to lie.

[Investigator]

Ultimately, prosecutors decide not to take the case to trial.

[Detective]

Those two girls having to sit up and testify and go through the trial process, that's hard. It's hard on any children. It's hard on adults to do that. So in this case, a plea deal was negotiated. Darrell Williams accepted a plea deal for 20 years in prison in lieu of life.

[Narrator]

It is an appropriate sentence if indeed the state couldn't go forth with a first degree murder. 20 years seems pretty light. But again, that sentence is based upon the facts of the case.

[Family Member]

Maybe we were disappointed. It's just unfathomable, man. It's like, you know, and then you saw my. You shot my sister in the face with a shotgun.

[Narrator]

Watched on the ground.

[Family Member]

The girls were right there with her. Coward is too good of a word. It didn't feel like justice. But to avoid any more damage to the girls, man, I think that avoiding placing them on the stand and putting them back in that situation was the better alternative.

[Investigator]

Daryl isn't required to. To explain his motives for killing Tiffany as part of his plea agreement. But a fellow inmate says he knows why Darryl did it.

[Narrator]

I drove up to the prison and I did an interview with the inmate, and he tells me that Darrell Williams confessed to him, that he killed her because she wouldn't take him back, and that if he can't have her, nobody else will.

[Detective]

Pete was a monster. Darryl had absolutely no regard for his children. The firearm that he used, the shotgun, very easily. His daughters could have been struck by that shell, by one of the multiple shells that he shot into Tiffany. He didn't care if he traumatized him. No father would ever put their daughters or ever put their children through witnessing that.

[Family Member]

I feel like Darryl snapped. He lost control. He was more comfortable with her being gone and out of the picture and not in the manner she wanted to. By just moving forward with her life, as sick and twisted as it is, I think that was his ultimate vengeance.

[Investigator]

Years after Tiffany's death, October 31 serves as a great reminder for her community and her loved ones.

[Forensic Interviewer]

Halloween can be scary for a lot of people in general, when cases like this happen, it puts those things and makes those things real. A real threat, a real concern.

[Family Member]

I dreaded Halloween. I even would take PTO days before or after because I knew I was gonna have some sort of emotional response.

[Forensic Interviewer]

For the twins, this is a life changing, traumatic event. They lost their mother, and they also lost their father. You know, he will be in prison for the next 20 years.

[Family Member]

Some of us are, you know, have better coping mechanisms than the other, but it's still one, you know, one big gaping hole. It's heartbreaking, man. It's heartbreaking.

[Investigator]

Rosalind was never charged for her role in Tiffany James murder. Darrell Williams is scheduled to be released from Florida's Jefferson correctional institution in 2035.