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In May 2012, the dismembered body parts of 20-year-old Kala Williams were discovered in Spokane, Washington. The case has gone unsolved for over ten years. The medical examiner of Spokane County initially classified her cause of death as "undetermined," which delayed any legal action.
In 2022, the case took a big turn when the current medical examiner reclassified her death as a homicide. It prompted Spokane police to suggest a first-degree murder charge against Robert G. Davis, who was already serving a sentence in Idaho on an unrelated offense.
Davis had also been indirectly linked to the disappearance of another woman, Heather Higgins, in 2010. His own mother informed police in 2012 that Davis had confessed to being involved in Higgins' case.
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Kala Williams' case was brought back into the spotlight after being the subject of an episode on the Crime Junkie podcast titled MURDERED: Kala Williams & Heather Higgins. The episode was released on May 12, 2025, and is available on their website and various other platforms.
A comprehensive timeline of events from Kala Williams' disappearance to the current status of the investigation
May 2012: Remains of Kala Williams found in Spokane, Washington
As per the Spokesman-Review reports, the body of 20-year-old Kala Williams, which had been dismembered, was discovered in early May 2012 in Spokane, Washington. Her body, which had been cut in half, was found in a sleeping bag and plastic bags.
Spokane County Medical Examiner Dr. John Howard at the time ruled the cause of death as "undetermined." This ruling did not provide police with sufficient reason to open a murder investigation or bring charges, resulting in the case going cold for years.
June 2012: Robert G. Davis's supposed confession to his mother
As reported by the Spokesman-Review, the Spokane police learned in 2012 that Robert G. Davis had reportedly claimed responsibility for a different case, that of the disappearance of Heather Higgins in 2010. Davis' mother, Sherri Cook, reported to the police that Davis had claimed he had done "something bad" to Heather.
Though this statement did not directly relate to Kala Williams' case, it put Davis on the radar for investigators. Despite this, neither case saw him charged with anything at the time.
2014: Robert G. Davis convicted in Idaho assault case
In 2014, Robert G. Davis was found guilty of assaulting a woman in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. He was sent to prison, where he still remains incarcerated. As per court records cited by the Spokesman-Review, the Idaho case was one of assault. No connection to the cases of Williams or Higgins was publicly reported at the time, however.
This belief helped Davis stay locked up as the detectives in Spokane continued to sift through the case of Williams over the next years.
2022: Kala Williams' death reclassified as a homicide
In 2022, Dr. Veena Singh, the current Spokane County Medical Examiner, went over Williams' case. She reclassified Kala Williams' death from "undetermined" to "homicide." This new ruling let Spokane police pick up the case again.
According to the Spokesman-Review, police then officially recommended that Robert G. Davis be charged with first-degree murder regarding Williams' death. This would imply premeditation if charged, although Davis has not been officially charged as of the time of this article's publication.
The re-classification of her death also prompted public outcry over prior rulings of former medical examiner Dr. Howard in other cases.
Ongoing investigation and public scrutiny
After the 2022 update, Williams' case again made headlines and drew public attention. Her case was highlighted on the Crime Junkie podcast, which brought more exposure to the cold case and the deficiencies of the initial investigation.
Williams' mother, Martine Maggio, has continued to speak out about her quest for justice. The Spokesman-Review reports that she thinks others could have been involved and that the initial medical determination held up action in the case too long.
Heather Higgins' disappearance, however, still has no solution. No charges have been made in her case, although she remains listed as missing. Davis is still in prison for his Idaho conviction.
Kala Williams' murder has not been solved despite being more than a decade old. The 2022 reclassification of her death as a homicide has reopened the case and generated new interest in it.
