LEXINGTON, Ky. — New details have emerged in the killing of a Lexington mother after court records revealed that authorities had issued a domestic violence warrant for the suspect weeks before the fatal attack, but never served it.
Dario Williams, 34, appeared virtually in Fayette District Court on Friday for his arraignment. A judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf to charges of murder with a domestic violence enhancement and burglary in connection with Candice Mackie’s death.
Lexington police say Williams, Mackie’s former boyfriend and the father of her young daughter, crashed a FedEx truck into a Valhalla Drive home Thursday morning before chasing Mackie into the street and fatally stabbing her.
Outside the home, candles and flowers formed a growing memorial for Mackie, who had recently moved in with her uncle along with her daughter.
“Oh, it’s … Candice just worked so hard,” said Emitt Murphy, Mackie’s uncle. “And she’s five years old,” he said of Mackie’s daughter.
Court records show Williams was also facing a separate domestic violence case involving Mackie following an incident in July. In that case, Williams faced charges of fourth-degree assault and second-degree criminal mischief.
According to a criminal complaint warrant, Mackie told police that Williams punched her in the back with a closed fist while she was lying on a couch at her uncle’s home.
Murphy said the July incident also resulted in damage to the home’s front door and mailbox.
“It always happens when I go to work,” Murphy said. “She wouldn’t let him in. Then he wound up damaging the front door and the mailbox.”
According to court records, a judge signed a warrant for Williams’ arrest on July 8. However, authorities did not serve the warrant until Thursday, when they executed it after Mackie’s death.
Murphy said Mackie had reported the alleged abuse and submitted evidence to authorities.
“I repeatedly told her to go down there, and she talked to several people,” Murphy said. “She had given them evidence and stuff where he had assaulted her.”
When asked why authorities had not served the warrant before the fatal attack, Murphy said he did not know.
Murphy said that despite the violence in their relationship, Mackie never wanted to completely cut ties with Williams because they shared a daughter.
He now hopes other people experiencing domestic violence will recognize the warning signs and seek help.
“It’s a cycle,” Murphy said. “There’s a lot of victims out there. These guys are predators, and they make the victim feel like it’s their fault.”
Williams remains held at the Fayette County Detention Center. A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for next week.
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