Lang
4/18/26
Trial began this week in an Iowa City murder case.
45-year-old Antavis M.W. Watson is accused of shooting 38-year-old Elijah Williams of Iowa City as Williams and his girlfriend, Mindy Colwell, were in a car parked on the 1800 block of South Gilbert Street just before midnight on March 29th, 2025. Witnesses say Watson fired several rounds into the vehicle, and phone records indicate Watson and Williams had been feuding leading up to the shooting. Watson was charged with 1st Degree Murder, Attempted Murder, and Possession of a Firearm as a Felon.
On Thursday, Colwell testified that she crouched down and covered her head when she heard Watson open fire. She told the jury that she called 9-1-1 when she looked over and saw Williams was hit.
Colwell also testified that she had been dating both men off-and-on, and sometimes at the same time., Both men were aware of the other’s relationship with Colwell. The two eventually traded threats via text.
The defense claims Williams shot first, and Watson was only defending himself.
Watson has previous kidnapping and other felony charges against him. He was given a ten-year prison sentence on charges of 1st Degree Theft and Domestic Abuse Assault Involving a Weapon after a 2011 incident in Johnson County. Robbery and weapons charges against Watson out of Lee, Henry and Des Moines counties have been dismissed in the past due to plea deals.
If convicted on the murder charge, Watson would face life in prison without the possibility of parole. The trial continues on Monday.