Kiara Williams convicted of murder in 2010 shooting

A Sedgwick County jury deliberated for about 2 1/2 hours Tuesday before convicting a Wichita woman of first-degree murder for her role in the shooting death of a man last year at a southeast Wichita apartment complex.

Kiara Williams, 21, was the fourth person convicted in the death of Otis Bolden Jr., 21, who was shot to death at the Fox Run Apartments, 1157 S. Webb, on April 26, 2010. Williams also was convicted of aggravated burglary and aggravated assault.

Two other defendants in the case, Quartez Brown and his cousin Kevin Brown, were convicted earlier of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison for Bolden’s death. Another defendant, Jalessa Bonner, 21, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and is awaiting sentencing.

Wichita police said the shooting arose from Bonner’s claim that Bolden was one of several men who had raped her two years earlier.

The state contended that the two female defendants directed the men to the apartment complex and pointed out where Bolden lived. Williams’ lawyer said his client was just along for the ride on the morning of the shooting and said she played no role in the shooting.

Both Williams and Bonner remained in the car when Quartez Brown and Kevin Brown went inside the apartment complex to shoot Bolden.

Testifying in her own defense on Monday, Williams said she didn’t know that the other people in the car were headed to Bolden’s apartment before the shooting. Prosecutors, however, produced a police interview transcript that showed that Williams told a detective she knew she was headed to Bolden’s apartment before the shooting occurred.

Williams is set for sentencing on March 9. The murder conviction qualifies her for an automatic appeal.

This story was originally published January 25, 2012 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Kiara Williams convicted of murder in 2010 shooting."