Woman sentenced in fatal 2024 Milton-Freewater restaurant robbery
By Dan Thesman on Thursday, August 20th, 2026 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
MILTON-FREEWATER — An Oregon woman has been sentenced to five years in prison in connection with a 2024 restaurant robbery that turned fatal, the Milton-Freewater Police Department announced Thursday.
Emerald Julia Williams was handed a 60-month prison sentence for robbery and manslaughter after entering a plea deal, according to a statement released today (Thursday) by Milton-Freewater Police Chief Joe Shurtz.
The charges stem from an evening incident on Feb. 18, 2024, when Milton-Freewater police officers were dispatched to a reported robbery at the Red Tea Garden. What initially began as a theft call quickly escalated into a manslaughter investigation after the victim, Shu Yi Wu, died from injuries she suffered during the robbery.
Detective James Farr, the lead investigator, spent months building the case alongside Milton-Freewater police personnel and neighboring law enforcement agencies before presenting the findings to the Umatilla County District Attorney’s Office. Farr attended Williams’ sentencing hearing in court on Wednesday.
Shurtz noted that cases of this severity require extensive documentation and time to prosecute successfully. In his public statement, he praised the coordinated efforts of responding officers, emergency dispatchers, ambulance crews, and county prosecutors who worked to resolve the tragic case.
“The Milton-Freewater Police Department is thankful this case has been adjudicated and hopes the resolution offers some measure of closure to the victim’s family as they continue to grieve,” Shurtz said.
Photo of Emerald Williams was released by the Milton-Freewater Police Department before she turned herself in to authorities at the Umatilla County Jail.
