DELAND, FL–
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a 47-year-old man who reportedly killed his ex-wife and her son over their electricity usage.
Officials say they received a call from a home in the Daytona Park Estates neighborhood on Sunday reporting a “self-defense” shooting.
Authorities arrived at the home around 8:00 p.m. and found Michael D. Williams sitting in a vehicle in front of the home.
When they questioned Williams, he told authorities that he’d gotten into an argument with his ex-wife 48-year-old Marsha Ebanks-Williams, and her son, 28-year-old Robert Adams.
When authorities entered the home, they found the two victims dead and
two children, ages 5 and 6, unharmed in the home.
Investigators found that Williams and his ex-wife who were still living together despite getting a divorce in June were involved in an ongoing dispute about the electricity.
On the day of the shooting, Williams reportedly turned off the electricity to the home and put a lock on the box.
When he returned home, he found that his ex-wife and her son cut off the lock, restored the electricity, and put their own lock on the box.
Williams and his ex-wife began arguing about the incident.
Williams claimed that during the argument his ex-wife and her son attacked him so he was forced to defend himself.
Investigators, however, reported that they do not believe William’s story:
“The rest is history as to what happened that night. This is senseless, this is absolutely senseless,” said Volusia County Chief Deputy Brian Henderson. “This was an argument over electricity. He became enraged and committed this kind of violence.”
Williams was taken into custody and has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
The Department of Children and Families has been notified about the young children involved in the case.