MOUNT VERNON – Paul Williams was a prankster.
His sense of humor energized a room with laughter. He would call family members daily, going to or coming from work, his big sister Pamela Franks Bey said.
He loved playing football and basketball. He loved listening to music along with his big sister Bey. He was the life of the family.
These are the memories she holds closest to her heart.
“He would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it,” Bey said.
Bey recounted her memories to Knox Pages soon after reading an article about authorities’ discovering her brother’s body at Ariel-Foundation Park on May 2, 2022. The death certificate ruled Williams’ death as a homicide – a bullet to the head.
“Paul was a lovable kid,” Pauline Holley, William’s eldest sister, said. “He never did nothing to nobody. If you was down, Paul would make you happy.”
Williams moved to Mount Vernon for work, Bey said, switching from job to job. Prior to that he was employed at a motor factory in Newark.
Williams loved sports cars. He owned a red Dodge Charger, and his body was found in that vehicle. Reports state no blood was found in the vehicle.
Kamariea Williams, Paul’s 18-year-old daughter, could talk to her dad about anything, she said.
Now, her best friend has been taken from her.
“Now I can’t call my dad and tell him about how I feel or nothing,” she said.
Paul Williams had no enemies, Bey said. He lived in Mount Vernon at the time of his death, which has led to an active investigation by the Mount Vernon Police Department.
“It’s been rough,” Bey said. “We’re strong, but it’s rough. It’s really rough for us.”
The Williams family is originally from Dallas, Texas, moving to Columbus in 1980, Bey said.
Williams’ mother gave birth to two girls and a boy. Paul was the youngest and Pamela the middle child.
Bey said her family needs closure to move past the tragedy. She noted that detectives leading the case have a “couple loose ends to tie up” in the probe.
Mount Vernon Police have declined to comment on the case, noting it’s an open investigation.
