Deal calls for dropping assisting suicide case against Coralville woman

A Coralville woman accused of encouraging a Olin woman to kill herself in 2021 — even talking her through details of the plan — will not be prosecuted for 12 months as long as she complies with special conditions.

Jennifer Marie Williams, 48, was charged in November 2024 in Jones County District Court with assisting suicide, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

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Earlier this month, Assistant Jones County Attorney Sara Smith filed an application to defer prosecution for Williams with special conditions until March 9, 2026. Under terms of the application, Williams must obtain a mental health evaluation and follow any recommended treatment. She also cannot have any new offenses within the 12-month period.

If Williams complies with the conditions, the prosecution will dismiss the charge.

A deferred prosecution for a serious felony offense — such as this Class C felony — seems to be a rare resolution.

Smith said there are many factors considered in a plea agreement decision that are “case specific.” She said she couldn’t speak for other prosecutors in the office, but this is something she has “rarely” used in the cases she handles.

“After a full evaluation of all of the circumstances surrounding this case, the nature of the defendant’s circumstances, what would be required to sustain a conviction for this rarely used criminal charge, and the lack of applicable alternative lesser-included offenses, it was determined that the terms as reached in the agreement would best further the interests of justice,” Smith told The Gazette on Monday.

In Linn County, Assistant Linn County Attorney Jordan Schier, the criminal chief of the office, said deferred prosecutions usually are filed for traffic or simple misdemeanors. He didn’t know of any filed in Linn County for serious felonies.

Williams, as part of the resolution, also waived her speedy trial rights under Iowa law, according to the application document.

Smith said a delay — from Dec. 29, 2021, until November 2024 — in filing a charge in this case was due to discussions of possibly putting the case before a grand jury and exploring the logistics of how that might happen. The Jones County Attorney’s Office had ongoing conversations with the Jones County Sheriff’s Office over the course of the investigation regarding the “viability of pursuing the charge. Ultimately, it was decided to proceed by filing the complaint.”

Records: Jokes mixed with suicide plans

According to the criminal complaint, Williams at 9:01 a.m. Dec. 29, 2021, called 911 to report her friend hanged herself at her Olin home. When deputies arrived, they found the woman dead in her basement.

The manner of death was ruled a suicide by hanging, according to the complaint.

A deputy said when he went outside the house, where Williams remained, he told her he was sorry for the loss of her friend, but Williams “just shrugged her shoulders” and didn’t appear sad.

Williams told the deputy she had a lengthy conversation with the woman the night before on social media. Williams, in the conversation, asked the woman to “talk about some things first,” telling her “this was not a good idea unless she had things worked out. I want to make sure we get everything done right so you can rest easy.”

In between making plans how to carry out the suicide, Williams made jokes and other inappropriate remarks, the complaint stated. Williams allowed the deputy to view and take photos of messages between the two women. Later, authorities obtained a search warrant for all the messages.

Williams “walked” her through her possible plan, knowing the woman was having suicidal thoughts, the complaint stated. Williams told her to “Let me be the one who finds you. No one else can handle it.”

Investigators said there were no messages telling the woman not to kill herself.

Williams started having this conversation with the woman about 1 p.m. the day before, on Dec. 28, 2021, and her last contact was about 3 a.m. Dec. 29, according to the complaint.

Video surveillance showed Williams arrived at the woman’s house about 4:27 a.m. but stayed in her car until almost 9 a.m., when she went inside and then called 911, the complaint stated.

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