Man Convicted Of Stabbing Matt Barnes' Aunt To Death

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A jury convicted Michael Williams of the 2014 first-degree murder of Tanganyika Williams, the aunt of former NBA player Matt Barnes.

Williams was also found to have used a deadly weapon during the murder.

According to court documents, Tanganyika Williams was planning on ending their marriage when she was stabbed twice in the neck by Michael Williams. The couple was in Michael Williams' van on 24th Street near Meadowview Road in July of 2014 when the stabbing happened. Mr. Williams ran off from the scene.

Mrs. Willaims was able to exit the van and identify her husband as the suspect to bystanders and officers. Officials said she died 30 minutes later after losing a massive amount of blood.

The case gained attention a few weeks after the murder when Barnes sent out a plea on social media to find his aunt's killer. Barnes, who grew up in the Sacramento area, posted a photo of Williams on Instagram and Twitter, along with the message: "This dude stabbing my auntie in the neck last week."

Hoover's son, David Williams Jr., said at the time he didn't want to pressure his cousin into getting the word out about Hoover's husband of one year and suspected killer.

READ MORE: Man Accused Of Stabbing Sacramento Woman To Death Arrested

Williams was captured three weeks later as he was planning to take a bus to Oklahoma.

He faces a maximum sentence of 56 years to life in prison and is due back in court for sentencing on Aug. 16.

The court said an allegation that Williams suffered a prior strike conviction for shooting with intent to kill will be determined at the sentencing hearing.