Father of slain Lexington children raises money to have them buried in hometown

The father of two children who were killed in Lexington last week has started a GoFundMe page with the hopes of raising money to help with funeral expenses.

Daryl Williams, the father of Deon Williams, 13, and Skyler Williams, 5, has raised over $7,000 of his $40,000 goal as of Thursday afternoon. He created the GoFundMe to raise money to have his children brought to their hometown of Cincinnati for burial.

Nikki James, 43, is accused of killing her children in Lexington on May 2. Police were called to the woman’s apartment after neighbors heard her screaming and saw her covered in blood, according to police testimony in court. The children were found with lacerations. They were transported to the hospital after first responders arrived, but later died from their injuries, police said.

James appeared in court on Tuesday for an arraignment and pleaded not guilty. She is being charged with two counts of murder-domestic violence and is being held in jail without bond. She had a preliminary hearing Thursday.

Williams said on his GoFundMe page that moving the children’s bodies to Cincinnati “has resulted in more money that needs to be raised.”

“They deserve it,” he said. “This would mean a lot to me.”

The GoFundMe has been active since May 6 and has amassed nearly 200 donations.

This story was originally published May 12, 2022 at 2:37 PM.