ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The father of an infant who has been missing for more than 40 years has been convicted of first-degree murder Friday, May 10.
Isiah Williams, 78, was found guilty by a jury of one count of felony murder and one count of first-degree premeditated murder.
The conviction stems from the 1982 disappearance and presumed death of his then-8-month-old daughter, Olisa Williams, in Ann Arbor.
Prosecutors said Williams got into an argument with the child’s mother, Denise Frazier-Daniel, on April 29, 1982, in Ohio. He struck Frazier-Daniel and fled with Olisa. She was last seen alive in Williams’ custody that summer.
Williams said he parked his car at Island Park and fell asleep. When he woke up, he found the car door open, and Olisa was gone, he said. According to Williams, he didn’t report the abduction to police because he thought his wife or one of her relatives had taken Olisa.
Olisa was never found and is presumed to be dead.
Ann Arbor police requested the Department of the Attorney General review the case in early 2021. The open-murder charge was brought against Williams in October of 2021 and a lengthy extradition process followed.
Williams will be sentenced July 10. First-degree murder carries a life sentence in Michigan.