GATES COUNTY, N.C. (WAVY) — A man was found guilty on Thursday in the 2022 homicide of his girlfriend and her unborn child in Gates County North Carolina.
According to officials, while at a cookout on May 3, 2022, Wilson Te’quon Williams told the victim, Shadae Roscoe, to meet them back at their house. Once back at their residence, surveillance footage showed Williams repeatedly assault Roscoe, hitting and kicking her before shooting her once in the back of the head while she was laying on the ground.
Deputies stated the shooting occurred around 11:15 p.m. in the 700 block of Route 37. Roscoe’s unborn child did not survive as a result of the shooting, deputies said.
On Aug. 7, 2025, Williams was found guilty of second-degree murder and murder of an unborn child. Judge Eula E. Reid then sentenced Williams to 240 to 300 months in prison for the murder of Roscoe — which is the maximum allowed under North Carolina law — and life without parole for the death of the unborn child.
District Attorney Jeff Cruden released a statement following Williams’ conviction, which can be read in full below:
Cases of domestic violence are often the most difficult for us to prosecute, and unfortunately often the most tragic. Ms. Roscoe found herself in an abusive relationship and unfortunately because of that relationship, she lost her life and the life of her unborn child. Ms. Roscoe’s parents, Terrence and Nickie Roscoe, along with many family members and close friends, were in the courtroom during the trial and when the verdicts were returned. Ms. Roscoe’s aunt, Wendy Lassiter, read a very emotional victim impact statement for the family and informed the court that the family had started the Shadae Foundation, a non-profit to help spread awareness of domestic violence. Any loss of life is tragic, but to die at the hands of someone that you loved and trusted, makes the loss even more difficult to bear. Hopefully with the help of the Shadae Foundation, and other organizations like that one, someone may find the courage and the support they need to free themselves from an abusive relationship.
District Attorney Jeff Cruden
If you or you know someone who may be a victim of domestic violence or child abuse, click here for a list of local and national resources.
