Victim reported being stalked by suspect days before murder

By Rachael Perry

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    PALM BEACH COUNTY, Florida (WPBF) — Court records filed in Palm Beach County show that the victim of a homicide reported being stalked by the suspect just days before her death.

Little Mack Williams, 45, was arrested on July 12, following a violent domestic disturbance that left one woman dead and another man injured. The victim has been identified as Shantay Butts, a mother of four.

Court records filed in Palm Beach County show that the victim of a homicide reported being stalked by the suspect just days before her death.

Little Mack Williams, 45, was arrested on July 12, following a violent domestic disturbance that left one woman dead and another man injured. The victim has been identified as Shantay Butts, a mother of four.

April 27, 2014

Back in April 2014, Williams was arrested and charged with felony battery after an ex-girlfriend called 911 regarding a sexual battery.

According to court records, the woman had noticeable injuries to her face and head, including swelling and bruising below the left eye and a 5 cm-by-5 cm hematoma on the right side of her forehead. Court records note the woman also had swelling to her left shoulder, which was tender to the touch, swelling to the left mid-back, which was tender to the touch, and a linear laceration to the left mid knuckle.

Williams was charged with felony battery, domestic battery by strangulation and false imprisonment. He pleaded guilty to felony battery and was sentenced to 36 days in jail.

June 12, 2018

Roughly four years later, Williams was arrested after an ex-girlfriend reported he continued to show up at her home and would not leave her alone. The woman’s brother also called police to report Williams trying to get inside and tampering with their outdoor surveillance cameras.

Williams was charged with stalking and trespassing. He was ultimately found not guilty of stalking but guilty of trespassing and was sentenced to 59 days in jail.

July 9, 2024

Deputies with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home in Belle Glade after the victim, Shantay Butts, reported an altercation with the father of her children, Little Mack Williams.

According to court records, Butts told deputies Williams showed up at her home and forced his way inside. She said he placed her in a chokehold and proceeded to kick her multiple times. Butts reportedly told deputies she could not breathe and almost lost consciousness.

Court records show Butts told deputies she tried calling 911, but Williams took her phone and ran from the scene when her daughter saw him.

Williams was arrested and charged with domestic battery by strangulation; felony battery (prior); tampering with a witness, victim or informant; simple battery (domestic) and deprivation of 911.

However, Williams pleaded guilty to domestic battery by strangulation, felony battery (prior) and tampering with a witness, victim or informant. He was sentenced to 157 days in jail and ordered not to contact Butts.

October 12, 2024

Williams was arrested for violating a no-contact order after Butts reported Williams would not stop trying to call her. A witness also reportedly told deputies they saw Williams banging on the door to Butts’ house.

November 6, 2024

According to court records, Williams was arrested after Butts called 911 to report Williams broke into her home and stole her cell phone. Butts said he began to fight her for it and pushed her around.

The felony charge of Domestic Battery was later changed to a misdemeanor. Williams pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 66 days in jail.

July 5, 2025

On July 5, 2025, PBCSO responded to an aggravated stalking call for service. Court records show the victim, Butts, told deputies Williams showed up at her home on July 2, 2025, and began to bang on her bedroom window. She stated that Williams asked if she was missing her firearm and that he wanted to come inside. She refused to let Williams inside her residence and told him to leave.

Butts said Williams came back to her house on July 4 and was banging on the doors and windows. She told deputies she was afraid, so she contacted law enforcement, since Williams had already strangled her in July of 2024.

According to court records, Butts said she and her son left while law enforcement was still in the area and headed to Clewiston. She told deputies, not long after they left for Clewiston, that her Blink doorbell camera notified her that Williams had entered her home. She called law enforcement and relayed the information, since Williams does not live in the home.

Butts reportedly told deputies she stayed in Clewiston at a hotel because she was afraid to go back home. According to court records, Butts said she arrived at work later that night and was informed by several people that Williams was standing by the front gates looking inside the community. She stated that she went outside and saw Williams standing directly across the street. Butts said she began receiving private number calls to her cell phone, and when she answered, she stated Williams told her that he was going to do something to her company at her home.

According to the probable cause statement, Butts called law enforcement to the scene and was told that there was nothing they could do for her since it was a public area. She said she did not go home at all, fearing that Williams was waiting for her at her residence.

The next day, on July 5, Butts said she received several Blink doorbell camera notifications that Williams was at her front door messing with her camera. Later that day, she said she finally went to her residence to grab something before heading back to work, and when she came back out a short time later, she observed Williams running towards her, yelling obscenities.

Butts told deputies she was scared Williams would try to kill her, so she ran to her vehicle’s passenger side door and jumped in, locking all the doors and windows. She said Williams began banging on the window, so she jumped in the driver’s seat and reversed the vehicle when Williams then stood in front of her car, and she sped off, almost hitting him.

Butts said she drove straight to her job and called 911, which is when deputies issued a warrant for Williams’ arrest, and he was charged with aggravated stalking.

July 11, 2025

Just about six days after that incident took place, Butts was found shot to death, and Williams was arrested.

According to the probable cause statement, Butts’ children were home at the time of the shooting, and her son was the person to call 911.

How domestic violence cases are prosecuted WPBF 25 News caught up with attorney Dave Aronberg to better understand how domestic violence cases are prosecuted.

Aronberg said he’s not able to speak to these specific cases, but overall, domestic violence cases can be difficult since a lot of victims don’t feel comfortable cooperating.

“The policy of the state attorney’s office is that we will move ahead with a case even if the victim doesn’t cooperate, but it makes it a lot harder to prove. Oftentimes, you’ll see cases lowered from a felony to a misdemeanor if the evidence starts falling apart or if a witness or the victim decides not to cooperate,” Aronberg said.

Aronberg said that in no other area of criminal law is there less cooperation from a victim than in domestic violence.

When it comes to past crimes of the accused, Aronberg said most of the time, that information isn’t able to be used at a trial unless the defendant takes the stand.

“It’s a challenge for prosecutors to get a tough sentence for these perpetrators when their past conduct may not be admitted into the trial, although it will be considered by the court at sentencing. But at the same time, if the victim does not participate, then you get a one-sided view of the defendant. The judge hears about how great this individual is, it doesn’t hear the truth,” he explained.

Aronberg said it’s not uncommon to see repeat offenders in domestic violence cases.

“There are frequent fliers when it comes to domestic violence. Like in any other area of criminal law, the focus of the state attorney’s office is to go after violent offenders and habitual offenders and domestic violence, that’s no different,” he said.

The biggest challenge, he said, is that it’s hard to break that cycle if a victim doesn’t feel safe going against their abuser.

“They even have an innovative program, first-time offenders, which brings in the victim to teach the victim not to tolerate that kind of abuse, to break the cycle of abuse because silence is often the enemy, and you have victims who will continue to go back to the perpetrator, and it’s important to try to get them to break that cycle,” Aronberg said.

Domestic violence resources

The Florida Department of Children and Families and the National Domestic Violence Hotline website both have a list of resources for victims of domestic violence or loved ones.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 800-799-SAFE (7233).

Remembering Shantay Butts

Family members of Shantay Butts spoke off camera with WPBF 25 News and expressed how loved she was and how great of a mother she was.

Her family said they want justice and to spread awareness of domestic violence.

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