A Pennsylvania mother told investigators she had only stepped out briefly to buy blinds at Walmart when a fire tore through her apartment and killed her three young children. But surveillance footage, prosecutors say, tells a starkly different story.
Danozjna Shalita Marjie Williams, 22, of Erie, Pennsylvania, now faces three counts of criminal homicide, three counts of endangering the welfare of children, and three counts of aggravated assault in connection with the March 29 fire that killed all three of her kids.
She is being held without bail at Erie County Prison.
What Investigators Say Happened
At around 4:30 p.m. on March 29, Erie firefighters responded to a blaze at 535½ East 26th Street. Flames were ripping through the second floor of the apartment building, and first responders quickly found themselves up against an unusual and heartbreaking obstacle — a mattress was blocking a stairwell, and a couch was wedged against a door at the top of the stairs.
When crews finally pushed through, they found three children inside a bedroom. No adults were present.
Two of the children, identified in court records only by their initials T.H. and D.H., were pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. A third child, A-A-M, was airlifted to a children’s hospital and died six days later, on April 3.
The Timeline That Didn’t Add Up
Williams arrived at the scene roughly 20 minutes after firefighters, reportedly brought there after her landlord called and told her, “Where are you, your house is on fire.”
She told investigators that her brother had been watching the children and that she had only been gone about five minutes on a quick errand. When pressed, she said she had gone to pick up blinds at Walmart.
But investigators say surveillance footage captured Williams leaving her home at 4:01 p.m. She did not return until 4:51 p.m. — nearly 50 minutes later. Cameras at both Walmart locations in the area showed no sign of her.
According to the Erie County District Attorney’s Office, Williams had actually driven southeast out of the city to Corry, Pennsylvania, to complete a drug transaction — selling approximately $300 worth of heroin or fentanyl.
Investigators also allege that this was not the first time Williams had left her children unsupervised.
“A Completely Preventable Tragedy”
The fire originated in the second-floor kitchen, according to local reports. Its exact cause has not yet been determined.
Erie County District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz addressed the case directly.
“This is a heartbreaking, but completely preventable tragedy,” Hirz said. “The evidence shows these young children were left without supervision in a situation where they needed their mother to protect them and keep them safe. That duty was abandoned, with devastating consequences.”
Williams is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on May 28.
