WINFIELD, Kan. — State and local law enforcement are investigating a horrific murder-suicide in Cowley County that left five family members, including four young children, and a male suspect dead on Tuesday morning.
According to a update released by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Winfield Police Department, dispatchers received a harrowing 911 call around 8:50 a.m. on Aug. 11 from a residence in the 400 block of West 9th Avenue. The caller, identified as 53-year-old Ronald Williams Sr. of Winfield, confessed to dispatchers that he had killed his family and intended to take his own life.
When Winfield police officers arrived at the home near 9th Avenue and Stewart Street, they reported hearing a single gunshot inside. Officers immediately established a secure perimeter around the home.
Tactical entry was made into the residence at approximately 10:57 a.m., where officers discovered six individuals suffering from gunshot wounds. Emergency Medical Services quickly responded to the scene, but all six individuals—including Williams Sr.—were pronounced dead at the scene.
The victims have been identified as:
- Kelly L. George, 44
- Carol A. Williams, 9
- Ronald H. Williams Jr., 7
- Sarah K. Williams, 5
- Kelly M. Magee-Williams, 3
Investigating authorities believe Williams Sr. murdered the five family members prior to dialing 911, and then died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound shortly after law enforcement arrived on the scene.
The Winfield Police Department officially requested the assistance of the KBI at 11:05 a.m. KBI special agents and the agency’s Crime Scene Response Team are currently handling the ongoing investigation alongside local detectives. Authorities emphasized that there is no ongoing threat to the public.
Law enforcement officials noted that the investigation remains ongoing and no additional details are being released at this time.
