Isiah Williams: Chicago dad found guilty of 1982 murder of infant daughter who he snatched from his wife's arms

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

LANSING, MICHIGAN: The father of an infant girl who went missing 4 decades ago was found guilty of her murder. The 9-month-old, Olisa Williams, was last seen in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on June 1, 1982.

The Michigan Department of Attorney General said in a press release that Chicago dad Isiah Williams, 78, was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of his daughter, Olisa.

Isiah Williams reported infant daughter Olisa's disappearance

Williams told the judge that he last saw Olisa in June 1982 and that he had smoked marijuana and had consumed alcohol while driving with her.

Williams says he parked his car in Island Park and went to sleep. When he woke up he found the car door open and Olisa was gone. Williams says he didn't report the kidnapping to the police because he thought his wife or someone in her family had taken Olisa.

Williams has a pre-trial conference scheduled for May 17 at 1.30 pm at Washtenaw County Circuit Court. Williams' sentencing hearing is set for July 10, according to People.

Isiah Williams forcibly took daughter from mother

Olisa Williams, born on August 10, 1981, in Ann Arbor, never got the chance to celebrate her first birthday, as her mother, Denise Frazier-Daniel, never saw her daughter turn one.

During a physical altercation on April 29, 1982, Olisa's legal father, Isiah Williams, forcibly took the then 9-month-old from Frazier-Daniel's embrace, marking the final moment she laid eyes on her daughter alive.

Frazier-Daniel and Williams who lived in Ohio at the time had connections in Michigan. Williams had a documented history of domestic violence against Frazier-Daniel, extensively noted in police reports from both states.

Despite her ordeal, Frazier-Daniel relentlessly searched for her missing daughter, actively engaging with missing person organizations and maintaining continuous communication with law enforcement, including the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Unfortunately, Olisa was never located and was presumed to be dead, ClickonDetroit reports. 

Missing Olisa Williams case reopened in 2021

In October 2021, Ann Arbor Police Chief Michael Cox requested Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel to assess the case, MichiganGov reports. 

This initiative led to Williams’ apprehension and subsequent murder charges. "Olisa has never been found and is presumed dead," stated Nessel on October 14, 2021. "We believe he killed baby Olisa as an act of abuse," he said,  

Williams has provided varying accounts of Olisa's location over the years and was even held in contempt of court for failing to disclose information about her whereabouts.