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A grand jury indicted 24-year-old Alex Williams for first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose (machete), and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon. Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago announced the indictment in a news release on Tuesday, Aug. 20.
Williams was accused of killing 29-year-old Brianna Greenwood, also from Wall, in the parking lot of the Glen Oaks apartment complex on Thursday, May 23. According to an affidavit, he called 911 at around 9:22 a.m., saying he "just killed my girl" and that he was "going to be compliant, just come get me."
As police responded to Glen Oaks, a female witness also called to report hearing a man swinging a weapon and yelling, "You cheated on me. You cheated on me, you b***h. You cheated on me." The witness got her boyfriend and they saw Greenwood leaning against a vehicle.
Officers found Greenwood on the ground between two cars with several gashes on her face and her left arm "almost completely severed above the wrist." Police also found a machete, her cellphone, and a black Nike backpack with suspected blood on the outside nearby.
Greenwood was rushed to a hospital and died a week later on Thursday, May 30. A GoFundMe page said she underwent an 18-hour surgery but couldn't recover from "the extensive damage inflicted upon her body."
The affidavit also said Greenwood's three-year-old daughter was inside her car during the attack.
As first responders were treating Greenwood, an officer found Williams sitting on a nearby bench and asked him if he had gotten into a fight with his girlfriend. Williams said she was cheating on him and had two cellphones.
Williams was arrested and also told police he had been in a relationship with Greenwood for about seven months. He also claimed he suspected her of cheating on him "for a long time."
In his interview after his arrest, Williams didn't admit to specifically stabbing Greenwood, according to the affidavit. He did tell police that he made the original 911 call.
Williams was charged with first-degree murder, second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose (machete). He was held at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution.
The affidavit also said there was "a domestic violence history" between Williams and Greenwood. Wall police were called to Greenwood's home on Saturday, Feb. 24.
Greenwood told police that Williams "wrecked her home, stole her phone, and stopped her from leaving" or calling 911. Officers found damage throughout the home, as well as scratches on Greenwood's arms and hands.
Williams was charged with simple assault, criminal mischief, criminal restraint, theft, and harassment in that incident.
"Brianna's untimely departure serves as a stark reminder of the gravity of domestic violence," Greenwood's GoFundMe page said. "She, her children, and her family did not deserve to suffer at the hands of such cruelty."
The memorial fundraiser raised $9,887 before it stopped accepting donations and the page also said Greenwood is an organ donor and will hopefully save several lives.
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