A Houston businessman was killed in a violent home invasion that has left his family traumatized. Now a group of men is on the run after murdering a homeowner, injuring his family, and ransacking his home. The attack happened just before sunrise in the Acres Home area.
Police were told four to five men forced their way into a house in the 1900 block of Dolly Wright, confronting the homeowner, his wife and three other people inside.
Moments later the homeowner, Emil Williams, Sr., 41, was shot to death during the home invasion. But it didn't end there. Detectives say the other people inside were pistol-whipped and the house was ransacked.
"Then they left," said Lt. Dan Harris with HPD Homicide. "I don't know if they were spooked or what, but they left in a hurry. They dropped some evidence in the yard."
The evidence is said to include cell phones. One of the family's cars was stolen as well, then recovered two blocks away where police believe another car was waiting. It was a robbery and a murder, but for Williams family, it was a terrible loss.
Jason Jones, the victim's cousin, said, "His standards were more or less just work for what you want. This really bothers me because somebody came in and took, as opposed to working for it."
Williams owned a street sweeping company. It was a successful business, but his neighbors say he was a good friend with a generous heart.
"Very honorable, helped everybody around," said neighbor Ronica Evans. "He just had a big barbecue the other day, invited the neighborhood around. It's a senseless killing that should never have happened."
One friend believes he saw a car driving by in the past couple of days, doing what he suggested appeared to be casing the house. Police are looking at surveillance video from inside the home.
