CINCINNATI -- Robert Williams has never been convicted of a violent crime. He was a close friend of coworker Kenneth Ridener, who family members said had affectionately nicknamed him "Ace."
Which is why Demirus Williams said he, like Ridener's family, was stunned to learn Saturday that his younger brother had been arrested and charged with killing Ridener.
"Our family is heartbroken, not only for ourselves but for the victim's family," Demetrius Williams said. "We can't wrap our head around it."
According to Cincinnati police, 40-year-old Ridener died of a gunshot wound to the head early Saturday morning. Passersby discovered his body lying in a Clifton Heights parking lot and arrested Williams shortly afterward.
Demirus Williams said he hoped for a chance to visit his brother in jail, where he is being held on a $1 million bond, soon. In the meantime, he can only speculate about the events of the night and the "awful reality" everyone connected to it must now inhabit.
"It really is like walking around in a daze, and you just wake up, you go through the motions and you just try to figure out why," he said. "How do you apologize to someone whose father's been taken away from them? 'Sorry' doesn't seem like enough."
Luke Ridener, the victim's eldest son, said Monday morning he believed Robert Williams should spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted of killing his father. Demirus Williams said he hopes additional eyewitness testimony will shed more light on what happened.
"My brother doesn't randomly pull guns and shoot people in the head," he said. "It's not in his nature, and I'm shocked by it. We're trying to figure out what led to that."
As far as Demirus knew, he said, his brother was going out to play pool with Ridener on Friday night. The younger Williams didn't return Demirus' texts Saturday morning, but that wasn't unusual; Demirus reasoned Robert must have been working that day.
The Williams family learned what had happened that afternoon.
"I wish that there was a moment before the incident that he would've been able to call me and tell me he needed help," Williams said. "We're an extremely tight-knit family. We were raised to be that way, and I just wish there was something that we could have done."
Until his younger brother is arraigned Feb. 8 -- and potentially long after that -- he and Luke Ridener are in the same boat: Confused, hurt and attempting to cope with a loss their families never anticipated. Williams said he thinks both families deserve answers and closure.
And no one, he added, deserves to lose a loved one to violence.
"Saying 'sorry' isn't enough," he said. "But it's a start."
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Cincinnati Police Department's Criminal Investigation Section at 513-352-3542, or Crime Stoppers at 513-352-3040, or submit a tip at P3tips.com. Callers can remain anonymous and could receive compensation for their information.
