'Brutally taken' | Gov. Kemp responds to killing of Cobb woman; ICE says suspect was in US illegally
David Hector Rivas-Sagastume, 21, has been accused in the killing of 52-year-old Camillia Williams.
Jonathan Raymond & Chase Houle | March 23, 2025 | 8:12 AM EDTCOBB COUNTY, Ga. — Gov. Brian Kemp this weekend responded to the killing of 52-year-old Camillia Williams in Cobb County, saying she was "brutally taken from this world" and asking Georgians to keep her in their prayers.
The case has drawn national political attention after ICE said Friday the suspect, 21-year-old David Hector Rivas-Sagastume, was a Honduran national who was in the U.S. illegally.
Williams, a mother and grandmother, was found dead at her home on
Pat Mell Road outside Marietta city limits earlier this month. Her family has described her as someone who was "always smiling."
"Anywhere you'd see Camillia, she was smiling, whether it was with her mouth or with her eyes. Her eyes lit up a room when she walked in," her niece Danielle Williams told 11Alive's Chase Houle this week.
An arrest warrant accuses Sagastume-Rivas of putting Williams in a chokehold until she lost consciousness and then putting both his knees and full body weight on her neck, killing her.
A motive hasn't been detailed by police, and Williams' niece told 11Alive she did not know if Williams had ever had any prior contact with Sagastume-Rivas.
"I'm not sure how she knew him or pretty much anything else about him, just what he'd done was really horrific," said Danielle.
On Friday, ICE released a statement saying Sagastume-Rivas entered the U.S. illegally on March 17, 2021 and was arrested by Border Patrol. According to ICE, an immigration judge ordered his removal on July 11, 2023. ICE said it lodged a detainer with the Cobb County Jail after his arrest on murder charges this week "to ensure he remains in custody for removal proceedings."
Gov. Kemp on Saturday released a statement saying, "Those who commit acts of violence against our people will face the full weight of our justice system, and if they are here illegally, we will not hesitate to work with our federal partners to ensure their removal from our state and country."
The governor added that he is "thankful for the brave work of local law enforcement and the swift response from the Trump administration on this matter."
https://t.co/Ja7RV5LqrV pic.twitter.com/kskOVbnS8R
https://www.11alive.com/article/news/crime/camillia-williams-case-cobb-county-gov-brian-kemp-statement-suspect-in-us-illegally-ice-says/85-0cc6d710-b9e6-45d0-a81c-8b3722148e65
I used to live off Pat Mell Road not far from here.