Devaughan Williams is accused of fatally shooting Kiara Smith in the early hours of Sept. 6, 2024.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Devaughan Williams was in court Thursday as prosecutors tried to have his bond revoked.
Williams is charged with murder in the 2024 death of Kiara Allani Smith, which carries a bond of $750,000.
He reportedly fatally shot the 25-year-old mother of his child after while being out on bail for a December 2023 charge of deadly conduct discharge of a firearm.
He also faces June 2023 charges of assault of a pregnant person for a previous attack on Smith, and an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge in November 2023. However, no bond amounts are attached to those charges.
During Thursday’s proceedings, Williams’ attorney argued to Judge Susan Barclay that his client — who has been in the Nueces County Jail since Sept. 7 and has not yet been indicted for Smith’s murder — is being illegally detained.
It is unclear why Williams has not yet been indicted.
Williams’ public defender also argued for his client’s release, but was denied. The motion ultimately was withdrawn, and Barclay ordered both sides to re-appear in court April 22.
The morning Smith was killed, police were called to the 1100 block of Green Earth Drive after other residents in the home called Corpus Christi Police Department officers early Sept. 6, saying they’d heard gunshots and had found her body.
Bridget Dorsey told 3NEWS at the time that she was letting Smith — her niece — and Williams stay at her home, even though Smith’s family said Thursday that the pair wasn’t supposed to have contact.