Woman fatally stabbed by husband on probation for previous assault, family says

BUNNELL, Fla. - EDITOR'S NOTE: If you or someone you know is in an abusive situation, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7. You can call 1-800-799-SAFE anytime or text "START" to 88788.

A family is sharing their heartbreak after their loved one was stabbed and killed, allegedly following an argument with her husband, who was on probation at the time for assaulting her.

"Yolanda was a very beautiful person inside and out," said Leonard Anderson, the father of 50-year-old Yolanda Williams.

Two weeks ago, Yolanda called her mother, Annette Anderson, asking her to come pick her up from her home in Bunnell. The family said she had just argued with her husband, Jermaine Williams.

"She was upset because she felt like her husband had done something to the car," Annette Anderson recalled.

Annette quickly got into her car, but she received alarming phone calls before she could reach Yolanda.

"I started getting calls that something had happened," she said.

Minutes later, Bunnell police arrested Jermaine Williams in the couple’s driveway. He is accused of stabbing Yolanda to death. According to a police report, Jermaine told officers that he felt he had nothing left to live for and that he "blacked out."

"I was in utter disbelief because I had just spoken with her," Annette Anderson said.

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At the time of the stabbing, Jermaine was on probation for assaulting Yolanda in a 2022 case. The family said they had urged Yolanda to leave him time and time again, but experts note that leaving an abusive relationship is often more complicated than it seems.

"Leaving is not just a ‘one and done,’" said Michelle Sperzel, CEO of Harbor House, a nonprofit organization for domestic violence survivors. "It takes someone seven times to be able to get out of and break that domestic violence relationship."

Sperzel emphasized the importance of reaching out for help, letting loved ones know what’s happening, and finding resources. "I know that’s hard because there is a level of shame that goes along with being in a relationship where someone is treating you poorly," she said.

While these steps may not always prevent the worst outcomes, they can make a difference.

Annette Anderson shared a poignant analogy: "If your head is in the mouth of a lion, you can’t just snatch it out. You gotta ease it out."

The family plans to open a foundation in Yolanda’s memory to help those who cannot help themselves.

"I’m going to speak because she can’t," Annette Anderson said.