Ex-boyfriend of Milton shooting victim arrested after manhunt

A 35-year-old man suspected in a shooting last month of a Milton woman is being held without bail after being arraigned on charges for multiple incidents including the shooting, the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office said.

Joell C. Williams, whose last known address was in Dorchester, was taken into custody Jan. 31 on outstanding warrants after police discovered he was at a home in Mattapan, the DA’s office said in a press release.

On Jan. 30, a woman was found in her car with multiple gunshot wounds, according to Milton police. The 43-year-old victim is in critical condition at a Boston hospital, Milton Police Chief John King said.

Williams was apprehended after an “intensive manhunt” by Milton police and State Police, the DA said. Williams refused to come out of the home for several hours but was ultimately arrested without incident, according to the release.

He appeared Monday in Boston Municipal Court in Dorchester for outstanding warrants, according to the release. 

Williams was arraigned Tuesday on an additional outstanding warrant for assault and firearm charges when he assaulted the same victim in Norwood in 2023, the DA said. Williams is a former boyfriend of the victim and had been wanted on the warrant since the 2023 assault, the release said.

Williams pleaded not guilty to the charges and is awaiting a pretrial hearing Feb. 26, according to the release. He was held without bail after prosecutors argued that he poses a risk to others and pointed to his criminal history, according to court records.

Williams is facing numerous charges related to the Milton shooting, including armed assault with intent to murder and unlawful possession of a large capacity firearm, according to the release. He is facing 11 total charges, which also include larceny and multiple assault and battery charges, according to court records.

After the manhunt and standoff, police searched the home in Mattapan and recovered a semi-automatic handgun with two magazines and an obliterated serial number, plus a pistol with a high-capacity magazine, the DA said.

Williams is not licensed to carry firearms, and the weapons will be tested at a State Police crime laboratory, the release said.

Williams is expected to be arraigned in Quincy District Court at a later date, according to the release.

Darryl D. Malden, Williams’ attorney, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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