Year passes with no arrests in Williams shooting

CLOVIS - Monday marked one year since Tchicaya "Caya" Williams was killed in a drive-by shooting at her family's apartment.

Her family, growing frustrated no arrests have been made on the case, spent an hour in front of the Clovis Police Department on Monday seeking answers.

"No one's been arrested," said Franzes Williams, Caya's mother. "I haven't heard anything from them. They keep telling me, 'Be patient.' It's been a year. How much longer can I be patient?"

In a May update on the case, CPD Lt. Trevor Thron told The News the CPD had conducted numerous interviews and canvasses of the area, plus reviewed surveillance videos. Nothing acquired through those efforts showed a shooting or a suspect's vehicle, or enough information to lead to an arrest.

Monday saw Thron deliver the same news in front of the police department steps to about a dozen members of the Williams family, many wearing shirts in memory of Caya.

Thron told Williams and family members that he wished he had better news, but that there were no significant breaks in the case. Williams and family members mentioned a person they believe is the shooter, and Thron said the CPD would be hard-pressed to make a charge stick on that individual with evidence that is largely Facebook posts and hearsay.

"A jury isn't going to convict based on the evidence we have," Thron told Williams. "Everything is circumstantial."

The News does not routinely name criminal suspects until or unless they are charged with a crime.

About 30 minutes into the conversation, Thron asked Franzes Williams to step away from the crowd and have a private conversation. After about 30 minutes of private discussion, the two completed their discussion and most family members had left to prepare for an informal gathering to release balloons in Caya's memory. Thron told Williams that the current evidence wouldn't stand up on its own, it would bolster a case should physical evidence materialize.