( Image: Jacksonville County Sheriff)
A Florida man, Nathaniel Slade, has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his former boss, LaDonna Williams, who had been trying to help his girlfriend escape an abusive relationship. Slade, 43, was found guilty of killing 41-year-old Williams, State Attorney Melissa Nelson confirmed in a press release.
The horrifying case unfolded in February 2022, when Slade stabbed Williams in the chest and forced his girlfriend to help him dispose of her body. According to the arrest report, Slade justified his actions by telling his girlfriend, “I had to do what I had to do. She was disrespecting me.”
Prosecutors revealed that after the murder, Williams’ body remained in a trash can outside Slade’s Jacksonville home for several weeks. Assistant State Attorney Brooke Milo shared the chilling details with local CBS affiliate WJAX: “He buried her in the trash can and then slept with her body outside of his bedroom window for some period of weeks before he left the house.”
The case came to light when Williams’ son became alarmed after she failed to respond to birthday messages he sent in late February. Concerned by her silence, he filed a missing persons report. Shortly after, he began receiving suspicious text messages from his mother’s phone, asking for money. Sensing something was wrong, he asked the person texting to answer questions about his childhood and personal life—questions only his mother would know. When the sender couldn’t provide the correct answers, his suspicions deepened.
Describing the emotional toll of his mother’s disappearance, Williams’ son told WJXT, “I was stressed out all the time, really,” and “I would think about her constantly. I would look for her. I would try to ask for help.”
On April 20, 2022, a local resident made a grim discovery while working in their backyard. They found a suspicious box and alerted the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Inside were the remains of LaDonna Williams, who had been buried there for weeks.
Williams’ son also revealed that his mother had known Slade for some time, as she had overseen his work on various home repair projects. “I met him plenty of times,” he recalled, explaining how he would often visit his mother at job sites where Slade was working.
In a tragic twist, it was reported that Williams had been trying to help Slade’s girlfriend escape the abusive relationship she was in with him, a decision that may have cost her her life.
At the time of the murder, Slade was already serving a life sentence for unrelated charges, including attempted first-degree murder, armed burglary, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He accepted guilt for the charges in January and was sentenced on February 15, 2022, according to prosecutors.
Williams’ family and friends continue to mourn her loss. A tribute posted to her GoFundMe page described her as an “exceptionally strong and loved individual.” The heartfelt message read: “She lived life day by day, ready for whatever God had planned. She was the grandmother of two, soon to be four. She was a daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, and friend to many. She was loved by everyone she met and kept faith in her heart. One thing nobody ever prepares for is the death of a loved one, especially their own mother.”
Slade’s sentencing marks the end of a painful chapter for Williams’ family, but the emotional scars of her tragic death are likely to linger for years to come.
