IU star's mom shot to death
Pinkhouses1961
IU star's mom shot to death
Victim had just seen Levron Williams' finale
By MARK WILSON Courier & Press staff writer
A few hours after watching her son finish an outstanding college football
career, Brenda C. Douglas was dead, shot at least six times.
On Sunday, police identified Douglas, the 37-year-old mother of Indiana
University running back Levron Williams, as the victim of Saturday's
shooting.
Her body was found about 10:30 p.m. near an apartment building at 1330 SE
Second St.
"She had a troubled life," said her father, James Owsley, of 1401 Lilac
Lane.
Like police, Owsley had no explanations Sunday as to why his daughter was
killed.
"She was a real outgoing person. She made friends real easy," Owsley said.
"She befriended a lot of people." While she had been involved with drugs
before, Owsley said, he thought she was turning her life around.
"It was the only way she could come around here. We had put limitations (on
her visits), for the benefit of our grandson. She was getting herself
cleaned (up)."
Evansville Police Detective Ted Mattingly said Douglas was at the apartments
to visit a friend.
Neighbors of the building called Central Dispatch at about 10 p.m. Saturday
to report hearing multiple gunshots.
A visitor to the apartment found the body in a driveway beside the
apartments and called police.
Detectives had few leads to go on as of Sunday, Mattingly said.
According to Owsley, Douglas accompanied other family members to watch
Williams play in the Indiana-Kentucky football game Saturday at Bloomington.
They returned to Evansville about 7:30 p.m., and his daughter left the
house.
Williams remained in Bloomington.
About 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Owsley said, an Evansville police detective came
and told him Douglas had been shot to death.
He said police told him she had been shot six times.
"We would like to bring closure to this," Owsley said Sunday. "You never
expect your daughter to go before you."
He won the Big Ten rushing, championship. Twice he has has been named the
offensive player of the week in the Big Ten.
Cam Cameron, the coach of IU's football program, gave a prepared statement
Sunday.
"Indiana University, its athletic department and our football program offers
its prayers and sympathy to Levron Williams and his entire family," said
Cameron.
"We are very proud of Levron's accomplishments and we will continue to
support him through this most trying time."
Williams, a Bosse High School football standout, ended his college career
with IU's 26-15 win over Kentucky.
Williams rushed for 3,095 yards in his career with the Hoosiers, making him
No. 5 on Indiana's career rushing list.
In his high school career, Williams played both football and basketball.