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FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. — Authorities arrested two women Thursday in connection with the death of an 18-year-old foster child found unresponsive at a residence earlier this year, officials said.
At approximately 2:45 a.m. on May 11, 2024, the Fairview Heights Police Department responded to a home at 6 Patricia Drive after receiving a report of an unresponsive female. Officers located Mackenzi Felmlee, 18, lying at the bottom of a staircase. Felmlee was in the presence of her foster mother, Shameka S. Williams, 46, and her foster grandmother, Cornelia M. Reid, 64.
First responders immediately administered lifesaving measures before transporting Felmlee to Belleville Memorial Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. Medical personnel and police noted significant bruising and injuries in various stages of healing on Felmlee’s body, prompting an extensive investigation.
Felmlee had been a ward of the state of Illinois and was under the care of Williams since April 8, 2020. Investigators executed multiple search warrants, conducted interviews, and consulted medical experts to determine the circumstances surrounding Felmlee’s death. A forensic analysis of a seized cellphone revealed photographic and video evidence documenting abuse, neglect, and torture allegedly inflicted by Williams and Reid.
On June 20, 2025, a St. Clair County Grand Jury indicted both women on charges including first-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, aggravated domestic battery, intimidation, unlawful restraint, and domestic battery.
Williams faces charges under warrant number 2025CF001029, while Reid is charged under warrant number 2025CF001030. Both were taken into custody Thursday by investigators from the Fairview Heights Police Department, Illinois State Police, the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, and the U.S. Marshals Service. An additional search warrant was executed during the arrests.
During the operation, a juvenile female assaulted an officer, causing a facial injury that required medical treatment. Williams and Reid are currently held at the St. Clair County Jail.
Officials expressed gratitude to the various agencies involved in the investigation and apprehension. The investigation remains open and ongoing.
“All persons charged with a crime are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law,”
