Family of missing Islandia woman who was found dead pleads for answers

The family of a missing Islandia woman who was found dead in Brooklyn is pleading for answers Wednesday.

Family members say they want answers from Suffolk police after they say their calls for help went unanswered for 11 days.

According to the NYPD, the body of 56-year-old Coaletta Williams was found in her car Monday with a possible self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

The family strongly denies that, saying she would never have taken her own life.

Williams was a mother, grandmother and sister. Her family says she worked in childcare for decades.

"I have no words, I have no words," says Katie Connely, Williams' mother. "My heart is broken, my heart is broken."

Williams' son Jovon Windley says police didn't ask for a picture or a plate number initially. Windley says eventually police did more, but it was not enough.

"It's that we're all human beings and we should treat every single case the same way," says Windley. "If you have a person that shows, true concern about the whereabouts of their mother, that they're calling every day, begging and pleading, please do something and you do nothing."

Issac Windley, Williams' brother, says more should have been done.

"This is totally unacceptable. Totally unacceptable," says Isaac Windley. "Now my sister is gone because these police officers didn't do their job in Suffolk County."

Suffolk police tell News 12 they conducted a thorough investigation, including attempting to ping Williams' phone. They say the investigation into her death is now in the hands of the NYPD.

Suffolk County police issued a statement saying, "Suffolk County Police Fourth Squad detectives received a missing person report on May 28 regarding Coaletta Williams, 56, of Islandia. Detectives conducted a thorough investigation, which included interviewing family, friends and associates and checking local hospitals and hotels. Attempts to ping her cellphone were unsuccessful. When investigators became aware of a possible location of her vehicle in Brooklyn, they contacted hospitals in New York City. On June 7, a plate tracking system detected her vehicle in Howard Beach. Coaletta was found deceased in the vehicle and NYPD is investigating.

The NYPD issued a statement saying, "On Monday, June 7, 2021 at approximately 2100 hours, police responded to a 911 call of an aided at the corner of 78th Street and 153rd Avenue, within the confines of the 75th Precinct. Upon arrival, an officer observed a 56-year-old female, unconscious and unresponsive with a possible self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head inside her vehicle. EMS responded and pronounced the aided deceased at the scene. The Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death and the investigation is ongoing."

Family members say they heard the vehicle was found in Brooklyn from someone who reached out to them on social media. The family says they don't want anyone else to have to go through something like this.

"Is it because of the color of her skin that they didn't take it serious or look more deeper than what they really should have?" says Jovon Windley. "And that's not a question that anybody should ever have."