Mum murdered by husband then sat on sofa while kids opened presents round her | US | News
Za’Zell and William Wallace, 30, have been together for three years (Image: undefined)
This had to be the merriest Christmas Za’Zell Preston ever celebrated with her seven-week-old son and two other children.
In 2011, the 26-year-old’s apartment in Anaheim, California, was filled with wrapped gifts, tiny clothes and holiday decorations; all set for an idyllic holiday season.
But beneath the surface, the young mother was enduring hell that would end in tragedy.
She found herself trapped in a violent and destructive relationship with her husband, William Wallace, that lasted three years.
Relatives and friends watched helplessly as the situation turned abusive; The 30-year-old man was repeatedly pressuring and attacking her.
Despite this, she consistently forgave him, even after he revealed to his relatives that she had made multiple death threats against him.
In 2008, Wallace was jailed for assaulting Za’Zell, served 45 days in jail, received probation, and was assigned to complete a treatment program. He later obtained a restraining order, and when Wallace violated it, he was taken into custody again. reports the mirror.
Za’Zell made prison visits and swore he had changed. When she found out she was expecting his baby (since she already had two children from a previous relationship) she desperately wanted to take his word for it.
William Wallace brutally murdered his wife (Image: undefined)
Wallace was released in the summer of 2011 and returned home with her daughters, who once again attempted to form a cohesive family unit. In July, Za’Zell shared a photo of herself kissing Wallace on social media with the caption “Lovebirds for life.”
But the reality was completely different from this seemingly perfect image.
Determined to escape the pattern of abuse, Za’Zell had enrolled in college and was training to become a domestic violence counselor. With Christmas approaching he was just weeks away from completing his qualification.
But at 9.30am on Christmas Day Wallace called 999 and told operators his wife needed urgent medical attention. When paramedics arrived at the scene, they saw Za’Zell collapsed on the couch.
Blood was splattered on the walls, holes were punched and a door was ripped off its hinges. There was also a shattered glass table on the floor.
The three children remained inside the apartment, unaware of what was happening, surrounded by torn wrapping paper and Christmas gifts. Za’Zell was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
After Wallace’s arrest, the sad truth about what happened the night before was revealed. The couple was at their neighbors’ Christmas Eve gathering.
Za’Zell Preston was killed by William Wallace on Christmas (Image: undefined)
As they walked home, a fight broke out and neighbors later told police they heard shouting that sounded offensive. Wallace struck Za’Zell repeatedly in the head and pulled him inside as he tried to escape.
Her eldest daughter watched in horror as the man pushed her mother into the glass table, breaking it and sending shards onto her skin. Wallace would later claim that he was “defending himself.”
Investigators rejected this account. The brutal attack continued in the bathroom, where Wallace allowed Za’Zell to fall, causing his head to hit hard. These injuries proved fatal.
Instead of calling for immediate help, he performed an almost incomprehensible act. On Christmas morning, Wallace carried Za’Zell’s lifeless body into the living room.
He placed her upright on the couch and placed her sunglasses over her eyes.
He later told the children: “Mummy got drunk and ruined Christmas.”
He encouraged them to open their gifts next to his body, even recording the scene.
Wallace faced murder charges, but nearly a decade has passed since his trial. During the trials, prosecutors revealed years of systematic abuse.
“He had been threatening to kill her for three years,” they told the jury. “He overcame those threats at Christmas.”
Za’Zell’s grandmother recalled finding her grandson huddled on the sidewalk after an attack. On another occasion, Za’Zell concealed himself from Wallace, terrified, and telephoned him from a store restroom.
That Christmas morning, Wallace contacted the grandmother and nonchalantly admitted that he had “messed her up a bit.” The most harrowing evidence came from Za’Zell’s teenage daughter.
He explained that he helped remove the glass pieces from his mother’s body. She witnessed Wallace carry her into the bathroom and drop her head into the toilet.
“I think he died after hitting the toilet,” the young man said. “He laid her down when she died. She was cold.”
In 2008, Wallace served time in prison after being convicted of assaulting Za’Zell. (Image: undefined)
He woke up the next morning and went to open the presents; his mother was already dead. “I tried to touch her,” he told the court.
“He was very harsh and cold. I said ‘Mom’ but he didn’t answer.”
The defense tried to undermine his testimony by arguing that his account was inconsistent, but prosecutors argued that he was intimidated and manipulated by Wallace. Meanwhile, medical experts confirmed that Za’Zell had been hit repeatedly in the head.
In April 2021, Wallace was found guilty of second-degree murder. Za’Zell’s mother, Saidell Preston, who has custody of her three grandchildren, described him as a “selfish psychopath.”
“He beat my daughter, tortured her, and mentally assassinated her children. He showed no mercy to her. Let’s not have mercy on her,” he said.
Za’Zell’s eldest daughter told the court: “I’ve been raised in hell ever since he killed my mother. There’s no childhood for me; it’s just been a downhill spiral since I was eight.”
The judge imposed a sentence of 15 years to life, taking into account the nine years already served.
