Mom of victim in murder-suicide has powerful message about domestic violence

CONROE, TX -- Days after a murder-suicide in Montgomery County, a woman's mother is speaking out exclusively about her daughter's death. She says he daughter was in an abusive relationship while living at a home in Conroe.

Late Tuesday afternoon, a man shot and killed his fiancee in a truck on his family's property southeast of Conroe. Investigators say a relative called 911 late Tuesday afternoon and asked for a welfare check at a home on Ward Road. When a Montgomery County Sheriff's deputy got to the scene, they found a woman had been fatally shot and a man had taken his own life.

The victim's mother says she always had a feeling the relationship was abusive, but her daughter never confirmed it to her. Now, she hopes her daughter's death can save another young woman's life.

"I believe she said I'm gonna call my momma to come get me," says Jackie Johnson.

But 27-year-old Orlando Williams shot Jakietha Wilson before she could make that call. And then he shot himself.

"My baby was 21 years old and she was taken from me, murdered," Johnsons says. "No grandchildren. No seeing her get married. That destroyed part of me. Run, people. Don't stay in it. Please."

Johnson says she saw the signs of abuse in her daughter and told her to get out, but she'd never admit there was a problem. She knew the signs because she's survived two abusive relationships herself.

"When she was here and he'd call, and she gets off the phone she's shaking," Johnson said.

Since Tuesday, Johnson says friends and family have told her story after story of abuse they heard and saw.

"She was crying out to family members. But then afterwards then they all started telling me. Her co-workers that she worked with at Taco Bell started telling the bad part. I don't wanna hear it now. It's too late," she says. "Co-workers said he kept coming to the job harassing and cussin' and fussin' at her. My niece said he pulled a gun on her and they used to get into arguments over money. My sister told me he tried to run her over with a truck."

Johnson tells Eyewitness News that Williams was bipolar and schizophrenic. She believes he took advantage of Wilson's nurturing spirit.

"She felt in her heart that she was helping him. She thought she could change him," Johnson said.

It's something Rhonda Septelka with the Montgomery County Women's Center says she hears all the time.

"That's one of the important things to remember: At some point they fell in love with that person and it was a relationship," she explains.

If you see red flags, she says connect them with resources that can help them with an escape plan. But sometimes there's no time for a plan.

"There are times in an abusive relationship that a survivor is going to be faced with that choice that they need to leave now or they're not going to survive that relationship."

The pastor working with the family says the silence must be broken.

"You would rather your friend or loved one be mad at you temporarily than to lose them permanently," says Pastor EA Deckard. "Say something. No more BS. No more being silent."

"Any woman, any young lady that's in an abusive relationship, run. If a man can't treat you like a queen, run," Johnson adds.

We went to the home where the couple lived with Williams' family. Nobody would come outside to comment.

Wilson will be buried in her home state of Mississippi. There's a GoFundMe account set up to help cover burial expenses.