A Coralville woman faces up to a decade in prison for encouraging another woman’s suicide in 2021, saying in a private message on social media at the time that “I want to make sure we get everything done right so you can rest easy,” according to authorities.
Jennifer Marie Williams, 48, was charged earlier this month in Jones County with assisting suicide, a Class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Jennifer Williams (Jones County Sheriff’s Office)
The case involved the Dec. 29, 2021, death of a 38-year-old Olin woman who the Jones County Sheriff’s Office said died by hanging. The death was later ruled a suicide.
Williams called 911 to report the death and was outside the woman’s house when law enforcement arrived.
“I walked outside and told Williams I was sorry for the loss of her friend. She just shrugged her shoulders and did not appear to be saddened by the loss,” a deputy noted in a criminal complaint.
During an initial investigation, a deputy examined messages Williams said she had sent the Olin woman on Snapchat just hours before the death. The deputy took photos of the messages and detectives later executed a warrant to get the full conversation.
The messages, according to a criminal complaint, showed that although Williams knew the woman was suicidal, they talked about funeral arrangements and supplies for the suicide, and Williams asked her: “Back to the chair. Have you tested it out yet? Look here woman, tell me if you tested the rope strength too." Williams also told her on Snapchat, "Let me be the one who finds you. No one else can handle it."
Investigators said there were no messages to the woman telling her to not kill herself.
The conversation ended about 2 a.m. on the day the woman died, according to the complaint. Video surveillance showed Williams arrived at the woman’s house about 4:27 a.m. but she stayed in her car until almost 9 a.m., when she went inside and then called 911, the complaint states.
A charge of assisting suicide is unusual, several prosecutors said.
Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks and Johnson County Attorney Rachel Zimmermann Smith both agreed that's not a common charge, and neither was aware of either of their counties filing that charge in the past.
"To the best of my knowledge, this specific charge has not previously been filed in Jones County," Assistant Jones County Attorney Sara Smith said Monday.
Williams was arrested Dec. 3 and was being held in the Jones County Jail on a $10,000 bail, according to a news release from the Jones County Sheriff’s Office.
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Jennifer Marie Williams, 48, was charged earlier this month in Jones County with assisting suicide, a Class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
The case involved the Dec. 29, 2021, death of a 38-year-old Olin woman who the Jones County Sheriff’s Office said died by hanging. The death was later ruled a suicide.
Williams called 911 to report the death and was outside the woman’s house when law enforcement arrived.
“I walked outside and told Williams I was sorry for the loss of her friend. She just shrugged her shoulders and did not appear to be saddened by the loss,” a deputy noted in a criminal complaint.
During an initial investigation, a deputy examined messages Williams said she had sent the Olin woman on Snapchat just hours before the death. The deputy took photos of the messages and detectives later executed a warrant to get the full conversation.
The messages, according to a criminal complaint, showed that although Williams knew the woman was suicidal, they talked about funeral arrangements and supplies for the suicide, and Williams asked her: “Back to the chair. Have you tested it out yet? Look here woman, tell me if you tested the rope strength too." Williams also told her on Snapchat, "Let me be the one who finds you. No one else can handle it."
Investigators said there were no messages to the woman telling her to not kill herself.
The conversation ended about 2 a.m. on the day the woman died, according to the complaint. Video surveillance showed Williams arrived at the woman’s house about 4:27 a.m. but she stayed in her car until almost 9 a.m., when she went inside and then called 911, the complaint states.
A charge of assisting suicide is unusual, several prosecutors said.
Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks and Johnson County Attorney Rachel Zimmermann Smith both agreed that's not a common charge, and neither was aware of either of their counties filing that charge in the past.
"To the best of my knowledge, this specific charge has not previously been filed in Jones County," Assistant Jones County Attorney Sara Smith said Monday.
Williams was arrested Dec. 3 and was being held in the Jones County Jail on a $10,000 bail, according to a news release from the Jones County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators: Coralville woman encouraged a suicide in Olin
A Coralville woman was arrested in Jones County earlier this month on charges that she enabled the suicide of a friend in 2021.
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