1 Year Before Death, Stabbing Victim Feared for Her Life

A year before she was stabbed to death outside her house on Copeland Street, Ronnesha Simms wrote about how William Brown Jr., father of her children, made her "fear for my life."


On Tuesday, Simms was stabbed multiple times in the chest in a confrontation with Brown, who was shot to death by police. Before he died, Brown continued to stab Simms, according to police.

Simms was confirmed dead at Anne Arundel Medical Center.

Simms filed assault charges against Brown in court documents dated Aug. 13, 2012. In the complaint, Simms wrote that Brown had been breaking into her house, chasing her around with a knife, choking and slapping her, and that he also punched her in the face. 

At one point, Brown forced her to take her clothes off and hid her cell phone so she couldn't leave, the complaint said. He also threatened to kill her and himself, according to the court documents.

"He sends me text messages saying he is going to kill me Im afraid for my life he getting high and I dont know what he will do (sic)," Simms wrote in the August 2012 complaint.

Later in court, Brown pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but all 10 years were suspended by the judge. Instead, Brown ended up getting three years probation, according to online court records.

The Capital-Gazette reported that the state's attorney's hands were tied because Simms refused to testify at Brown's trial. All the prosecutors had was Simms' written complaint.

Annapolis Police Department spokesperson Amy Miguez said police believe that Brown was the father of Simms' two children.