Two Indicted in Drive-by Shooting

April 5, 2022 – Taylor Janae Williams, 24, and Randall Durrell French, 32, have been indicted in the drive-by shooting death of Tammy Hawthorne, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury indicted Williams on first-degree murder, and French on facilitation of first-degree murder. Williams is being held without bond, and French is being held on a $200,000 bond.

The incident occurred at 3:00am on Friday, October 1, 2020. MPD officers responded to a wounding call in the 3000 block of Lamar Avenue, where they found a female victim suffering from a gunshot wound. Tammy Hawthorne was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators obtained video surveillance from several locations in the area, and developed a suspect who was captured on video in the area prior to the homicide. The suspect’s picture was released to the media, and a Crime Stoppers tip identified him as Randall French and gave his Facebook account name. Investigators obtained a warrant for his Facebook account, and found messages in which French spoke about the homicide with another person, later identified as Taylor Williams. Hours after the homicide, Ms. Williams listed the vehicle used in the homicide as for sale.

On September 24, 2021, Ms. Williams was brought to the homicide office, where she waived her rights and told investigators that she was the one who shot Tammy Hawthorne, and that she had sold the vehicle used in the homicide. On the same day Randall French was brought to the homicide office where he waived his rights, and advised that he drove the vehicle used in the shooting and pulled up to Tammy Hawthorne, but did not shoot her.

The case is being handled by Asst. Dist. Attys. Carla Taylor and Karlyn Hillard of the District Attorney’s Vertical Team 6 which prosecutes cases in General Sessions Division 15 and Criminal Court Division 10.