More than 20 years after a young father was murdered in Lauderhill, the FBI has arrested the man who they say is responsible for his death.
Through her pain, Navlette Williams said she was hopeful that one day her son's murderer would be caught.
“God answered my prayer,” Williams said. "I never give up, I never give up.”
After being on the run for 21 years, the FBI arrested Kareem Lightbourne this week. He’s been a fugitive wanted for murdering Kirk Ennis in Lauderhill December 2002. The FBI says they found Lightbourne in the Dominican Republic.
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Williams was emotional when she got the news.
"It's like I'm happy and I'm crying, I felt so good to know that justice will be served," Williams said.
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Ennis was Williams’ oldest son. Born in Jamaica, he was 23 at the time of his murder and a father of three children. Williams said her son loved music and was a great runner.
"He will take his clothes off and give it to you, that's how he is,” Williams said.
Williams said she still cries and dreams about her son.
"He said to me, 'mommy don't cry.' It's hard, it is really hard but I'm so happy they caught the person," Williams said.
Lightbourne is accused of shooting Ennis to death and kidnapping his ex-girlfriend and her 2-year-old son at gunpoint in her Lauderhill apartment before leaving Florida.
After learning of Lightbourne’s flight, the FBI obtained a federal Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution warrant. He was recently located in the Dominican Republic where he was detained by authorities then expelled to the United States for immigration violations.
Lightbourne is now in the Broward County jail.
“I hope now that she can be at peace and I can be at peace,” Williams’ neighbor Lorine Thompson said.
Williams said she forgives him but she wants to know why he killed her son.
"What's the reason? Because there has to be a reason,” Williams said.
Lightbourne is charged with first-degree murder, armed kidnapping and grand theft and driving with a license suspended.
