Red Tea Garden manslaughter trial is delayed

By Terry Murry on Tuesday, November 19th, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories

PENDLETON – The trial of Emerald Williams, 40, who is accused of fatally injuring the owner of the Red Tea Garden in Milton-Freewater during a robbery was supposed to occur last month. Umatilla County District Attorney Dan Primus said they were ready to move forward but the defendant got a new attorney.

“We had done every bit of our witness prep, all of our questioning,” Primus said. “All of our questioning – everything – was all worked out and we were trying to really get ready for the jury selection portion.”

A date has not yet been set for the trial. Chief Deputy District Attorney Jaclyn Jenkins said that the next court appearance will be at 8:15 a.m. on Dec. 18 in Sixth Circuit Court Judge Jon Lieuallen’s Pendleton courtroom.

It’s alleged that Williams engaged in an altercation with Shu Yi Wu, 56, who later died of injuries she sustained. She turned herself in at the Umatilla County Jail a week after the incident and remains incarcerated on $250,000 bond facing charges of second-degree manslaughter and first-degree robbery.

Photo of Emerald Williams was released by the Milton-Freewater Police Department before she turned herself in to authorities at the Umatilla County Jail.