On January 17, 2024, 23-year-old Jaynice Briel Ferguson-Williams was shot and killed at her apartment complex on Dunvale Street in Houston, Texas. Officers found her unresponsive with a gunshot wound to her thigh; she was taken to Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, where she was pronounced deceased. In her final moments she identified her ex-boyfriend, 45-year-old Algie Mac Washington, as her assailant.

Ferguson-Williams and Washington had a relationship that began and ended in 2020. After the breakup her family and police say Washington engaged in persistent harassment and violence, prompting a protective order and multiple reports by Ferguson-Williams, including an allegation that he attempted to strangle her in 2022. Washington’s record includes four felony convictions for offenses against Ferguson-Williams, listed as aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury and continuous violence against family.

On January 24, 2024, Houston police arrested Washington at an apartment complex on Winrock Street; he was charged with murder and held on a $1 million bond. Family members have held vigils to honor Jaynice and criticized authorities for not acting sooner to stop the pattern of abuse. If anyone knew Jaynice or has information about her case, please come forward.