Clippers star Kawhi Leonard’s sister accused in casino murder of 84-year-old woman
Clippers superstar forward Kawhi Leonard is the brother of one of the defendants accused of murdering and robbing an 84-year-old woman at Pechanga Resort Casino, Leonard’s family confirmed on Saturday, Sept. 7.
One of Leonard’s sisters, Kimesha Monae Williams, 35, is being held without bail at Indio Correction Facility. Authorities say that on Aug. 31, Williams and Candace Tai Townsel, 39, followed Afaf Anis Assad, 84, of Long Beach, into a bathroom at the Casino near Temecula, broke her skull and stole her purse. Assad died Sept. 4.
At the Williams family home in Moreno Valley on Saturday, Williams’ aunt, Denise Woodard, pulled back the blinds and speaking through the window said Williams and Leonard are sister and brother.
Woodard declined to say anything on Williams’ behalf and said she didn’t know whether Leonard had reached out to the family or Williams after her Sept. 3 arrest.
“He didn’t have anything to do with this,” Woodard said.
Leonard is not accused of any crime.
When a Riverside County sheriff’s investigator filed a written request with a judge to eliminate any chance that Williams could post bail, the family’s financial resources were a concern.
“Williams has family that are well off and could post her bail of $1,000,000,” the investigator wrote. “I am requesting NO BAIL to assure Williams’ appearance in court and to keep innocent victims safe.”
The investigator didn’t mention Leonard’s name, but Leonard, 28, who attended Canyon Springs High in Moreno Valley before graduating from King High in Riverside, signed a three-year, $103 million contract with the Clippers in July. John Hall, a spokesman for the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, would not say Saturday whether the investigator was referencing Leonard’s contract.
Williams and Townsel are accused of stealing Assad’s purse, which was estimated to have $800-$1,200 inside, the sheriff’s investigator said. Townsel is also being held without bail. They are due to be arraigned Sept. 19.
“Williams has a violent history and targeted a feeble elderly female and robbed her,” the investigator wrote.
A doctor at Inland Valley Medical Center told him that the fatal injury could not have been caused by a fall, the investigator wrote, and would have required “a great amount of force, such as being pushed, thrown or punched by a 320-pound person.”
Jail records list Williams as being 6-foot-2 and 320 pounds, and Townsel as being 5-foot-4 and 195 pounds.
Williams has convictions for petty theft, grand theft, misappropriating lost property, grand theft auto and attempted robbery, court records show. The investigator also wrote that Williams and Townsel were responsible for the theft of a slot machine player’s wallet at Pechanga in 2015. It was unclear whether they were ever prosecuted for that incident.
Leonard has twice been voted the Most Valuable Player of the NBA Finals, including the 2018-19 season, when he led the Toronto Raptors to their first NBA championship. He averaged 30.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists.
The two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year was considered the grand prize of this off-season’s free-agent class.
Leonard played two seasons at San Diego State University and led King High of Riverside to the CIF-SS Division 1AA boys basketball championship in 2009, when he earned the 2009 California Mr. Basketball award as a senior.
Staff Writer Mirjam Swanson contributed to this report.