After beating and strangling his wife to death, a Cobb County man then cleaned up the woman’s body and wrapped her in bedding to hide the crime, police say. The man then told family and friends the 33-year-old woman overdosed, arrest warrants state.
It’s not known how long Derrick McLaurence Williams allegedly waited before telling anyone that Finesse Dawson had died, according to two arrest warrants obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. But Smyrna investigators believe Williams left the home after trying to conceal the woman’s death on Dec. 5.
Williams, 30, remained on the run late Tuesday, Officer Michael Smith told the Journal-Constitution. When he arrested, he’s expected to be charged with homicide, aggravated assault, aggravated battery and concealing a death, in addition to a misdemeanor drug charge, the warrants state.
“During a physical altercation, the accused choked the victim to death and beat her, leaving massive bruising to her head, hands, arms, back and buttocks,” the arrest warrant states. “The accused told friends and police the victim died from an overdose. Autopsy revealed she had been strangled.”
Williams is a convicted felon who spent seven months in prison last year on weapon and drug charges, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections. After his release from prison in September 2011, Williams was arrested in February for allegedly punching his wife and cutting all four tires on her car with a steak knife, a previous warrant states.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Williams is asked to contact Smyrna police at 770-434-9481.
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