August 10th 2025.
Montrell Williams was just a two-year-old toddler when he tragically lost his life. His body was found in the Bronx River by New York Police Department officers on June 11, and now, his mother and grandmother have filed a $60 million lawsuit against the NYPD.
During a press conference held on August 7, the mother, Ciera Carroll, and the grandmother, Octavia Roane, accused the police of not taking enough action to find Montrell after he went missing on Mother's Day. They claim that when they informed the police that the father, 20-year-old Arius Williams, had a warrant for his arrest and was the primary suspect in Montrell's murder, the police brushed it off with a dismissive "So what?"
Williams has entered a plea of not guilty and is currently charged with murder and manslaughter, being held without bail. The family's spokesperson, Rev. Kevin McCall, has stated that the police were aware of domestic violence within the home and even with this knowledge, a family court still allowed Williams to have some custody arrangement with Montrell.
"It's clear that the police knew about the history of domestic violence in the home, whether it was mental or physical abuse," McCall told CBS News. He also added that the family is seeking justice for Montrell's death and that no amount of money can bring him back.
Carroll also expressed her frustration with the police's lack of urgency in finding her son. She claims that when she informed them about Williams' warrant, they told her not to follow him and to go to the police to file a complaint. But when she did, the police again brushed it off with a "So what?"
Roane, Carroll's mother, shared that the police even hung up on her daughter when she called and said "So what?" in response to their concerns. "She's very hurt right now," Roane said. "The way the police responded, the way they acted towards us, showed no care in the world."
The family's other set of grandparents also stated during Williams' arraignment that they had filed multiple missing persons reports, but the police took over a month to officially launch a search, initially referring them to family court. According to their lawyer, Shiraz Khan, the police were aware that Montrell was in danger, but failed to take immediate action.
The family's lawsuit against the NYPD includes claims of wrongful death, negligence, emotional distress, and conscious pain and suffering experienced by Montrell before his murder at the hands of his father. The police have stated that they will review the lawsuit if and when it is filed, but have also released a statement asserting their commitment to seeking justice for Montrell's death.
"The murder of Montrell Williams is an absolute tragedy, and the NYPD extends our deepest condolences to his family," the statement reads. "Our detectives are always committed to conducting complete and thorough investigations, and the arrest of Arius Williams is the first step in the pursuit of justice for Montrell's death."
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