Two children murdered in Lexington laid to rest Saturday

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - A funeral and visitation were held for two children killed in Lexington on May 2nd.

Family and friends gathered in Cincinnati to lay 13-year-old Deon Williams and five-year-old Skyler Williams to rest.

Now the Lexington-Fayette County NAACP Chapter is questioning how Lexington Police responded to a welfare check the day before Deon and Skyler Williams were murdered.

They’re asking why the children weren’t removed from the mother’s care and if officers requested help from a trained officer in mental health.

43-year-old Nikki James, shown in court here, has been charged with two counts of murder. Accused of stabbing her children to death. Police said Deon and Skyler Williams were murdered by their mother on May 2nd at their home in the Parkway Manor Apartments on Rogers Road.

Over the past few weeks, friends, teachers and family have gathered here in Lexington.

“It’s good for me to know that there was and is a caring community around Skyler and Deon and their family,” said Cerise Bouchard who taught Skyler at Mary Todd Elementary at a memorial in Lexington on May 9th.

And another celebration of life ceremony held near their father’s home in Cincinnati.

“My children aren’t here right now, but in a better place. I’ve got to do what I can to put them in a better place,” said Darryl Williams.

Then again Saturday night for a visitation and funeral for Deon and Skyler in Cincinnati.

But, it’s what happened the day before the murders the NAACP is questioning.

They ask in a letter why the children weren’t removed from the home when Lexington Police were called to the home for a welfare check...twice on May 1st.

LPD tell us they were called to the home by a third party. When officers arrived, they spoke with James-further saying they did not observe anyone having a mental health crisis nor did they have reasonable ground to believe James was mentally ill and presented a danger to herself or her family. Saying they were only called about James’ safety, not her children’s.

They did confirm they were called out to the home twice the day before the murders, one was for a harassment complaint, the other for a mental health crisis.

LPD say other officers weren’t called in to help because the two officers who responded are crisis intervention trained. They said they didn’t reach out to other agencies to remove the children because they say they did not observe conditions that would require such actions.

James’ case is set to go before a grand jury.

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