The Dallas Police Department is renewing efforts to solve the 2019 cold-case murder of Sheila Prater, appealing to the public for any information that could lead to a break in the case.
On March 3, 2019, authorities responded to a welfare check at Prater’s residence in the 3400 block of Keyridge Drive near Paul Quinn College. Travonte Prater, Sheila’s son, discovered his mother shot in her bedroom and immediately called 911, according to The Dallas Morning News, pleading for first responders to help.
Upon arrival, police discovered her body. Despite an initial arrest and trial that resulted in the acquittal of Prater’s boyfriend, Victor Williams, in 2021, no further suspects have been identified, reported Fox 4 KDFW.
Throughout the initial trial, Dallas County prosecutors alleged that Williams, 51, fatally shot Prater, 45, at her southeast Oak Cliff home. The pair had been in an on-and-off relationship.
Williams, during his time as a murder defendant, was rebuked by the presiding judge for attempting to communicate with Travonte while on the witness stand, per DMN.
Prater’s daughter, Tiara Jones, has been outspoken about seeking justice for her mother.
“All I’ve been asking is what happened to my mom. I can’t get closure until I know what happened to her,” Jones stressed, per Fox 4. She shared her frustration over what she perceives as a narrow focus on Williams during the investigation.
Jones recounted feeling neglected by law enforcement in the aftermath of her mother’s death, lamenting that she had left voicemails for years without the police department returning her calls, per Fox 4.
DPD has been understaffed for years, with only about 3,000 officers on the street — roughly 1,000 fewer than the 4,000 recommended in a City report. Additionally, the department has a much smaller budget than other high-crime jurisdictions, with just $654 million allocated to DPD this fiscal year.
Nevertheless, recent communication with DPD Sgt. Otha Hampton, whom Jones credits with listening to her concerns, has rekindled hope for renewed attention to the case.
“I feel like God is about to bring justice to my mama,” Jones said, according to Fox 4.
Dallas police are urging anyone with pertinent information about Sheila Prater’s murder to come forward. Sgt. Hampton can be contacted directly at (214) 671-3654 or via email at [email protected].
In Dallas, there have been 102 murders committed this year as of June 28, according to the City of Dallas crime analytics dashboard.