Kimesha Williams, the elder sister of NBA superstar Kawhi Leonard, has been sentenced to life in prison for a murder charge dating years back.
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Kimesha Williams and her friend Candace Townsell were charged with this crime in September 2019. The murder charge is regarding the death of 84-year-old Afaf Assad at the Pechanga Casino Resort.
Williams and Townsel faced allegations of involvement in additional casino-related incidents. One such incident occurred in November 2015 when Williams stole a slot machine player’s wallet while another woman distracted the victim.
2 WOMEN SENTENCED TO LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE: Candace Townsell and Kimesha Williams convicted for the 2019 robbing and killing of 84-year-old Afaf Assad, were both sentenced this week to life without the possibility of parole. The two women targeted Mrs. Assad who was with her… pic.twitter.com/HPVIqFtNMV
— Southern Man (@MagicBelle1) April 22, 2023
Both Williams and Townsel have extensive criminal records, with Williams having been convicted of petty theft, grand theft, misappropriating lost property, grand theft auto, and attempted robbery. Similarly, Townsel has a prior conviction for petty theft in Riverside County.
The duo was convicted in February this year after the trial began in January. They were held without bail at different prisons – Kimesha in Riverside and Townsell in Banning. Neither will not be allowed any parole requests during her term in prison.
What were the circumstances of Kimesha Williams’ crime?
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office reported that the Long Beach couple arrived at the casino a little before 7:30 a.m. While exiting, Williams and Townsel noticed the victim holding a pink purse with $1000 inside. This prompted them to return to the casino.
According to the accusations made based on video surveillance, Williams and Townsel were seen following Afaf Assad, an elderly woman, as she entered the casino’s bathroom at 7:28 a.m.
The video allegedly shows Townsel going into the bathroom after Assad, while Williams waited outside for a brief period before also entering. Subsequently, a guest who entered the bathroom and went into a stall heard someone falling.
Is Kawhi Leonard missing time because of Kimesha’s sentence?
Kawhi Leonard had missed the Clippers’ game against Memphis on March 29th. It was speculated that his sister’s troubles might be the reason for his absence. However, there is no confirmation present for this notion.
