Jury Finds Herley Williams Guilty of Murder in the 2nd Degree and three counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 2nd Degree

Rochester, NY- On Tuesday, November 19, 2024, a Monroe County Jury convicted 35-year-old Herley Williams of Murder in the Second Degree and three counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 2nd Degree for the murder of Todd Jones on July 21, 2023.

On July 21, 2023, Rochester Police Officers were called to North Goodman Street in the City of Rochester for a shooting. The officers quickly discovered 35-year-old Todd Jones, who was dead at the scene. It was determined that he was standing at the corner of North Goodman Street and Diringer Place, when he was shot in the chest.

After a thorough investigation by the Rochester Police Department, Herley Williams was arrested eleven days later by the United States Marshals Violent Felony Fugitive Taskforce. At the time the defendant was arrested for the murder, he also had an illegal gun in his possession. Herley Williams and Todd Jones were known to each other.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Kennedy, Deputy Chief of the Special Investigations Bureau and Senior Assistant District Attorney Ryan Mulcahy, also of the Special Investigations Bureau.

“Herley Williams executed Todd Jones in broad daylight in the City of Rochester on that July evening,” said Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Kennedy. “This murder was violent and deliberate. I want to thank the Rochester Police Department for their thorough investigation that resulted in the identification and apprehension of Herley Williams. Today, our community is safer knowing that Herley Williams will be incarcerated in the New York State Department of Corrections, away from Monroe County.”

“As a violent offender and convicted murderer, Herley Williams is a danger to our entire community,” said District Attorney Sandra Doorley. “Today’s guilty verdict is a much-needed resolution for the loved ones of Todd Jones, who did not deserve to die on a street corner. Herley Williams has no value for human life and is best served in the New York State Department of Corrections, where I sincerely hope he contemplates his actions that resulted in today’s conviction.”

Herley Williams will be sentenced on January 17, 2025, in front of New York State Supreme Court Justice Miller.