A 65-year-old Alabama woman has been indicted on a murder charge after authorities said she fatally shot her boyfriend when he ended their relationship during a meeting at a public park.
A Jefferson County grand jury indicted Bonita Yvette Brown on one count of murder in the death of Thomas Williams, 64, a U.S. Army veteran.
Birmingham police officers responded to an area near Birmingham Park on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025, after receiving a report about an unresponsive man who needed assistance, according to a department news release. Officers found Williams lying in the roadway in the 1700 block of Maple Avenue.
A passerby discovered Williams and called 911 at about 2 p.m., AL.com reported. Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.
Investigators determined that Williams had been shot several times. No shell casings were found near his body, and his cellphone appeared to be missing, according to WBRC. Authorities later concluded that the shooting occurred shortly after 12:30 p.m.
Phone records and data from Williams’ smartwatch reportedly showed that he had communicated with a phone number belonging to Brown in the hours before his death. Investigators also reviewed footage from Flock license plate reader cameras, which reportedly showed a vehicle believed to belong to Brown near the park shortly before and after the shooting.
During questioning, Brown acknowledged that the phone number and vehicle identified by investigators belonged to her, according to reports. She also confirmed that she had been dating Williams.
Court records cited by AL.com said Brown admitted shooting Williams after he ended their relationship. Authorities allege she then removed evidence from the scene.
“Defendant confessed to meeting the victim in a park to have sex and that when he broke up with her immediately after, she ‘snapped’ and shot him three times,” Jefferson County District Judge Tiara Y. Hudson wrote in a bond order, according to AL.com. “She further cooperated with police in telling them where to find the firearm she used and the shell casings, which were all recovered from her home.”
At a detention hearing in December 2025, prosecutors asked the court to hold Brown without bond, WBRC reported. Her defense attorney requested her release, pointing to her lack of a criminal record and her role as the primary caregiver for her daughter.
Hudson set Brown’s bond at $100,000. Brown posted the bond and was released under conditions that prohibit her from possessing a firearm and require her to attend treatment sessions every two weeks.
Brown is accused of murder, and the charge against her remains an allegation unless proven in court.