LeAndrew Williams was just 15 years old when he shot and killed 49-year-old Jimmie Lee Pierce Jr. during an armed robbery. Pierce sat outside his home in the Northwest Plaza Apartments on North West Street in Jackson, Mississippi, on May 16, 2022, when Williams and two men approached him and demanded his wallet. Following Pierce’s death, investigators learned Williams had allegedly found explicit text messages on his mom’s phone from Pierce that upset him. Williams’ anger led to murder and a 40-year prison sentence.
According to WLBT, Williams conspired with Corey Hodge Jr., 19 at the time, and Bonny Fields III, then 24, to confront Pierce and rob him. After arriving at Pierce’s home and attempting to rob him, Williams shot the victim twice with a 9mm handgun. Emergency responders took him to the hospital, where he died of his injuries a short time later.
Following Pierce’s death, his brother Anderson Donalson shared his frustration with WLBT.
“Why? Why did they take an innocent man’s life that wasn’t in the streets like that? Senseless. They took a brother, they took a father, they took a friend that had many friends out here,” Donalson said. “So, we just left with that question why, and I would think that it’s probably no response because it was just senseless.”
The suspects turned themselves in to police two days after the shooting. Hodge was charged with capital murder and Fields was charged as an accessory after the fact, WLBT reported.
Hinds County District Attorney Jody E. Owens II, announced on June 10, 2025, that Williams was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to 40 years in prison. He will serve 35 years in the custody of Mississippi Department of Corrections and the remaining five in post-release supervision.
“Too many of our cases start the same way: a quick decision, a gun and someone never makes it home. A man is gone because someone decided that his wallet was worth more than his life,” Owens said. “Our office stands firmly with victims of violent crime and will continue to pursue justice for every life that’s been stolen through reckless and intentional harm.”
