By Gordon Byrd
Dec 21, 2020
BRADENTON -- Detectives with the Manatee County Sheriff's Office used old data and new technology to solve the cold case murder of a 16 year old girl from Hardee County that happened 14 years ago.
Ralph Williams, now 36, and his 32-year-old brother Tyjuan Williams are charged with the murder of Amber Woods. Her body was found along State Road 62 in Manatee County, February 11, 2006. Her aunt last saw her alive at their home a few hours earlier.
An autopsy found Amber Woods died from a gunshot wound.
From the beginning, detectives say they knew that Ralph Williams wanted to end the relationship. Amber's friends say he believed she was pregnant... which the autopsy showed was not true. They found a text that seemed to show he was concerned about facing criminal charges because Amber was underage. They didn't have enough evidence to build a case. They had cellphone data in their notes but had no way to process all of it.