Houston Woman Sentenced to 35 Years for Murdering Friend and Father of Six

A Houston woman, Frankie Williams, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison after pleading guilty to the murder of her friend, 34-year-old James Earl Harp. The announcement was made by Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, who expressed concern about the increasing number of disputes ending in gunfire.

The incident took place on March 13, 2020, at Williams’ north Houston home in the 7300 block of Schuller. Harp, a father of six known for his humor, had sought temporary lodging and went to stay at Williams’ residence, where they, along with Williams’ brother and another friend, had known each other since high school.

An argument between Harp and Williams escalated and continued for at least an hour, ultimately resulting in Williams shooting Harp. Despite being shot, Harp was still alive. In a shocking turn of events, Williams directed her brother and their friend to load Harp into the back of a pickup truck. They then drove him to a rural area where they disposed of his body in a ditch.

On Monday, victim impact statements were given by Harp’s friends and family, including his 16-year-old daughter. Williams will not be able to appeal the conviction or the sentence and must serve at least half of her 35-year term before becoming eligible for parole.

Two other individuals involved in the case, 33-year-old Shannon Williams and 31-year-old Desman Tolliver, had previously pleaded guilty in 2021 for their roles and were each sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Liberman, who is assigned to the DA’s trial bureau, prosecuted the case with ADA Brett Batchelor.

“They got into a fight over nothing that resulted in a death that didn’t have to happen,” Liberman said. “She knew he was a jovial guy with a family who was not a threat to anyone, and she could have just walked away instead of doing what she did.”