Inset (left): Sgt. Denise Williams (Stone Bros. Funeral Home). Inset (right): Tahj Hemphill (Chatham County Sheriff's Office). Background: News footage of the apartment in Savannah, Ga., where Williams was found dead (WTOC).
A former soldier who was living with his wife, an active-duty soldier, in Georgia is accused of murdering her.
Tahj Hemphill, 23, appeared in a Chatham County court for a preliminary hearing on Thursday, when detectives provided more details about the events of June 30. That's when police said Hemphill fatally shot and stabbed his wife, 23-year-old Sgt. Denise Williams, an active-duty soldier stationed at Fort Stewart in Georgia. Local CBS affiliate WTOC was in the courtroom for the testimony of Chatham County Police Department Det. Jonathan Puhala, who went through the alleged timeline that led up to Hemphill's arrest and murder charge.
According to Puhala, Hemphill placed a 911 call around 6:30 p.m. on June 30 and told dispatchers that he killed his wife. He allegedly provided no further information before hanging up the phone. Police and the fire department arrived at the apartment the couple shared in Savannah, Georgia, and forced their way in after no one answered the door.
Hemphill came from the back of the apartment and told the police that he had shot Williams, who was found on the floor of the couple's bedroom, according to the testimony. Police searched the apartment while detectives questioned Hemphill.
Puhala testified that Hemphill told police he thought he drank "tainted coffee" while at work. Hemphill told police that when he got home, Williams did not speak to him. He also said she was saying strange things to him, offering two different stories. The couple then got into a "tussle," after which Hemphill said he left the apartment.
Hemphill, who was confirmed to be a motor transport operator for the U.S. Army from November 2021 to March 2025, was working for FedEx at the time. He left work at 7:08 a.m. on June 30. Flock cameras captured Hemphill's vehicle traveling to Jacksonville, Florida, and returning to Savannah around 12:30 p.m., when he was seen on his apartment's Ring camera entering the home.
According to Puhala, Hemphill was seen a few minutes later leaving the apartment while holding a firearm, then going back inside. At 12:50 p.m., Williams was seen on the Ring camera entering the home. It was the last time she was seen alive.
Hemphill was next seen leaving the apartment with the couple's dog around 4:30 p.m. He was reportedly not wearing shoes. He and the dog returned to the apartment around 6 p.m., half an hour before he called 911 to report that Williams was dead.
Puhala testified that a neighbor heard what they believed to be a gunshot around 2 p.m.
The medical examiner determined that Williams was shot three times and stabbed about 40 times. She was most likely alive for the entire attack, Puhala said. Investigators found a Glock 43 9 mm handgun and eight shell casings as well as a knife.
According to Det. Puhala, Hemphill claimed to have drunk bad coffee while at work, but during his interview, he did not show signs of impairment. Investigators collected Hemphill's blood to determine if he had any chemicals in his system.
WTOC reported that while investigators were at the couple's apartment, Hemphill's cousin called to request a welfare check. The cousin reportedly told dispatchers that Hemphill told him he was "hallucinating."
Hemphill's cousin was not the only person who was concerned about Hemphill on the morning of June 30. Puhala testified that during the time period Hemphill was believed to be in Jacksonville, Williams called Hemphill's ex-husband, Manuel Almestica, also a former military staff sergeant, when she could not reach Hemphill herself.
Almestica told police that he had communicated with Hemphill that morning and provided the exchanges to investigators.
Hemphill was charged with murder and remains in custody at the Chatham County Jail, where he is being held without bond. His next court date was not immediately available.
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