Fairlane Drive's Gunshot Murder: Jailed Son 'Has Accepted' Will County State's Attorneys Plea Bargain Offer

JOLIET, IL — After spending the past three years and seven months housed inside the Will County Jail, 35-year-old Fairlane Drive resident Jakeem Williams is ready to take responsibility for his actions that resulted in the firing of six gunshots inside the family's Joliet garage, killing his parent, Matthew Woodfork, according to court documents.

Since March 28, 2023 — which was before cash bail was abolished in Illinois— Williams has remained in the Will County Jail facing a $5 million bail.

Last week at the Will County Courthouse, Williams was returned to Courtroom 501 of Judge Sarah Jones for a plea or trial setting. The court files now show that "Defendant has
accepted the State's offer. Defense counsel not addressing the
defendant's detention at this time ... By agreement of the parties, case is continued for entry of plea. Defendant remanded."

Williams will be returned to the courthouse on Nov. 6 when the details of his plea, as well as his possible sentencing hearing, will be revealed and take place.

In March 2023, Joliet Patch was in the courtroom when prosecutor Christopher Koch told Will County Judge Marzell Richardson Sr. that an altercation between Williams and his mother preceding the deadly shooting involved "an argument over his contribution to living in the house."

Inside the two-story family house at 716 Fairlane Drive, Williams was at the top of his stairs with his mother when his other parent, Woodfork, intervened, the prosecutor said. Williams pulled out a gun and shot Woodfork several times, and the shooting was witnessed by several children, Koch said. There were five minor children inside the house when the homicide happened, he said.

6 Gunshots Fired At Joliet Homicide Victim At Close Range

Koch said a total of six gunshots were fired before Williams ran outside and drove away. After Williams was captured near Elwood, he gave an interview with Joliet police detectives, leading them to a farm field where he had disposed of the revolver he used in Woodfork's killing, according to the Will County prosecutor.

When Joliet police recovered the gun, it had six spent shell casings, consistent with the evidence that six gunshots were fired at the homicide victim at close range.

Earlier that day at the Fairlane Drive home, Joliet police found Woodfork bleeding inside his open garage, and he later died at St. Joe's hospital.

According to the 2023 testimony, Williams had told Joliet police he was in an argument inside the house on Fairlane Drive, that he had pulled out his gun and slammed a door on his father and his father replied, "I'll make you use it."

One of the children inside the house, a 15-year-old, called 911 to notify Joliet police of the shooting just a few minutes before 4 p.m.

The 15-year-old told 911 dispatchers that "his brother is shooting a gun at his father," Koch told the judge.

"He had a gun and shot him as he was going down the stairs," Koch told the courtroom.

At the time of the murder, Williams, then 32, had no criminal history in Will County, and his Will County public defender asked the judge to give Williams a reasonable bond.