Juanita Williams

On the morning of January 14, 1977, the body of a 26-year-old woman recorded in Connecticut cold-case files as Juanita Williams -- also known as Therea (Thera) Wilson, Theresa Wilson, and Mona Williams -- was discovered in the parking garage of the then-Statler Hilton Hotel at 10 Ford Street in downtown Hartford, Connecticut. According to published accounts and Connecticut authorities, she had been stabbed dozens of times (sources cite roughly 40 to 50 stab wounds) and beaten about the face; her body was found inside a vehicle in the garage. Investigators believed she had been killed within about 24 hours of the discovery. Born in Hartford in 1951, she was one of ten children and had more recently lived in Meriden. State cold-case materials note that at the time of her death she had been engaged in prostitution.

Hartford Police investigated the killing in 1977, pursuing numerous leads that the Office of the Chief State's Attorney says all produced negative results. No suspect was ever publicly identified, and no one has been charged in the case. The physical setting later complicated any renewed inquiry: the parking garage where her body was found no longer exists. Because the killing dates to the 1970s, contemporary sources report no publicly disclosed forensic or DNA developments, and no persons of interest have been named in public records reviewed for this summary.

In March 2006, at the request of the Hartford Police Department, the case was reopened with the assistance of the Cold Case Unit of the Office of the Chief State's Attorney. In November 2006 the reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction was increased to $50,000. The victim's case has since been featured in Connecticut's Cold Case Playing Card set, a deck distributed in correctional facilities to help generate tips on unsolved homicides.

As of 2026 the homicide remains officially unsolved, with no arrests, charges, or publicly reported convictions. Connecticut authorities continue to seek information through the state's Cold Case tip line (860-548-0606 or 1-866-623-8058). Note that the ColdCaseIndex record lists this case under the year 2011; based on multiple reliable sources, the homicide actually occurred in January 1977, and the '2011' year appears to be a data error. The recorded status of 'Unsolved' remains accurate.