CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WTVR) - Why? A one-word question the Mia Williams family continues to struggle with.
They say while she was outgoing and boisterous, her private life remained just that: private. They claim she was good at masking her internal and marital struggles with a beaming smile and laughter.
There were plenty of tears Thursday for a nurse who devoted her adult life to helping others. Family members never thought the light at the end of Mia Williams’ life tunnel would be a flickering candle.
They gathered to gain perspective on a tragedy that took a mother of two long before her time. "Mia was a pistol,” said her aunt Johanna Cousins. “She was generous. She would take care of anybody at anytime."
Williams was stabbed to death Monday night inside her Brandy Oaks Road home in southwestern Chesterfield.
Police say the suspect is her husband, a man who they say led them on a high-speed chase down I-95 south minutes after killing his wife.
After a crash, they say he got out of his car, only to be hit while running across traffic.
It was a traumatic situation for two children ages 11 and 16, who police say witnessed their mother’s killing and learned of their father’s injuries shortly afterwards.
“They have so much family to back them up. They'll never be alone,” said Cousins. “We will always be here to help them remember their mom."
That's exactly what friends, family and neighbors did Thursday night by sharing stories, song, and prayer for Williams. They say her spirit will shine on.
“If you know Mia, she had that infectious laugh,” said Sabrina Hughes, a co-worker. “She was a nurse who had a caring and loving spirit."
Family members affectionately called Mia Williams a diva, saying her outgoing personality and never-afraid-to-step-up-to-a-challenge attitude made it easy for her to live up to that title. And her fellow nurses at McGuire Veterans’ Hospital say their lives will never be the same.
