Markeisha Burns-Cross, an Indiana woman tied to the killing of Michigan father Devon L. Williams, has been sentenced to 10 to 30 years in prison after entering a no-contest plea to second-degree murder.
Williams, 33, was shot inside a Buena Vista Township home in Saginaw County, Michigan, in March 2023. Prosecutors said Burns-Cross helped bring her then-boyfriend, Zakeem Jones, to Williams’ home before Jones opened fire while Williams was inside with several children.
Burns-Cross Gets 10 to 30 Years
Burns-Cross, 27, was sentenced this month after pleading no contest in April to second-degree murder.
The plea ended the most serious charges she originally faced. Prosecutors had charged Burns-Cross with first-degree murder and felony weapons counts after her arrest in 2023.
Those charges were dropped under the plea agreement. The second-degree murder conviction still carries a serious prison term under Michigan law.
Burns-Cross has already spent time in custody since her July 2023 arrest. That time is expected to count toward her sentence.
Devon Williams Was Shot Inside His Home
The killing happened at a home in the 3100 block of Walters Drive in Buena Vista Township. Police said officers found Williams shot inside the residence. He later died at a local hospital.
WSGW reported that police identified the victim as Devon Williams after the March 30, 2023, shooting.
Williams was the father of five children. Prosecutors said he was with several children inside the home when Burns-Cross and Jones arrived.
Williams was reportedly sitting at a table when Jones entered. Prosecutors said Williams tried to escape after seeing Jones, but the front door was locked.
Jones then fired multiple shots, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors Say Jealousy Led to the Trip
The case centered on jealousy, phone messages, and a drive from Indiana to Michigan.
Burns-Cross and Jones had reportedly argued after drinking. The argument involved Jones’ communication with other women.
Burns-Cross then began exchanging messages with Williams, her former partner and the father of her child. Jones later saw those messages on her phone, prosecutors said.
Investigators believe that the discovery set the fatal encounter in motion.
Jones allegedly became angry and told Burns-Cross to arrange a meeting with Williams. The pair then traveled to Williams’ home in Buena Vista Township.
Jones Followed Burns-Cross Into the Home
Prosecutors said Jones had a 9 mm handgun when he and Burns-Cross approached Williams’ duplex.
Jones allegedly wanted Burns-Cross to bring Williams outside. When that did not happen, Jones followed her into the home.
Williams was unarmed, prosecutors said. He had no clear warning that Jones was coming inside with a gun.
During Jones’ trial, prosecutors described the shooting as a planned ambush. They argued Jones wanted to remove a romantic rival after seeing messages between Burns-Cross and Williams.
The prosecution said Jones wanted to “obliterate the competition,” a phrase that later became tied to the case.
Burns-Cross Testified Against Jones
Burns-Cross played a major role in Jones’ prosecution.
WSGW reported Burns-Cross pleaded no contest in Saginaw County Circuit Court after she testified against Jones.
Her testimony helped prosecutors build the timeline of the trip, the argument, the messages, and the shooting.
The plea agreement came after Jones was already convicted. Burns-Cross still faced punishment for her role in bringing Jones to Williams’ home.
A no-contest plea does not require a defendant to admit guilt in open court. It allows the court to treat the case as a conviction for sentencing purposes.
Jones Is Serving Life Without Parole
Jones received a much harsher sentence. A jury convicted him of first-degree premeditated murder and firearm-related felonies. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Jones was ordered to serve life after the jury found him guilty.
Jones had been out of Michigan’s custody for months after the shooting. Authorities later took him into custody in September 2024 after his release from prison in Illinois on an unrelated case.
He was then extradited to Michigan to face the murder charge.
Michigan Law Allows Long Prison Terms
Burns-Cross’s sentence falls under Michigan’s second-degree murder law.
State law says second-degree murder can be punished by life in prison or any term of years. The court decides the sentence based on the case.
The Michigan Legislature’s second-degree murder statute gives judges broad discretion in those cases.
That legal difference explains the gap between the two outcomes.
Jones was convicted of first-degree premeditated murder, which brought life without parole. Burns-Cross pleaded no contest to second-degree murder, which allowed the judge to impose a term of years.
Case Began With 2023 Arrest
Police first announced Burns-Cross’ arrest in July 2023, months after Williams was killed. At the time, investigators said she and Williams had a child together. Police also said another suspect was being held in another state.
The case then moved through Saginaw County courts for nearly three years. Jones was convicted in January 2026 and sentenced in March 2026. Burns-Cross entered her plea in April 2026. Her sentencing followed in June 2026.
The timeline stretched across Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois because Jones was not immediately in Michigan’s custody.
Children Were Inside During the Shooting
The presence of children inside the home became one of the most serious details in the case. Prosecutors said Williams was babysitting when Jones came into the residence. Several children were nearby when the shooting happened.
Authorities have not publicly reported that any child was physically injured. The shooting still placed children near a violent crime scene inside a home where they should have been safe.
That detail also shaped how prosecutors described the attack during court proceedings.
Court Case Ends With Two Prison Sentences
The criminal case now has two major sentences. Jones will spend the rest of his life in prison without parole for the killing of Williams. Burns-Cross will serve 10 to 30 years for second-degree murder.
Williams’ family has already seen one defendant convicted at trial and another sentenced through a plea.
The case leaves behind a clear record in Saginaw County court: Williams was killed inside his home, Jones was convicted as the gunman, and Burns-Cross was sentenced for her role in the events that brought violence to his door.
