Polk โฃCity Woman Foundโ Guilty in 2022 Murder โof Polk County Deputy
POLK CITY, โFL – A Polk County jury delivered a guilty verdict Wednesday in the case โof โNatalee Williams, finding herโ responsible for the 2022 death of polk county Sheriff’s Deputy Blane Lane. Williams, 34, was convicted of second-degree murder of a law enforcement officer, among other charges, stemming from a shooting in Polk City thatโ claimed the life of โthe 28-year-old deputy.
Deputy Lane was โฃresponding to a disturbance at aโ residence in the Foxtown South community on Oct. 3, โข2022,โ when he encounteredโ Williams. Authorities say โขWilliams opened fire on Lane, โขstriking him twice beforeโ she was apprehended. He was โฃtransported โto Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center, โbutโ succumbed toโฃ his injuries.
“This โsuspect’s โoutrageousโค criminal actions were the cause of my deputy being โคkilledโค in โthe line of duty, and theโ jury appropriately found her guilty asโ charged,” Polk County Sheriff Gradyโฃ Judd said in โคa statement following the verdict. “herโ family can visit her in prison, but Blane’s โขfamily hasโฃ to visit his grave in a cemetery and can only have a one-sided conversation with him. We will never forget Deputyโฃ Blane Lane, and his family remains in our โprayers.”
Williams initially faced 13 felony charges, including three counts each โofโฃ aggravated assault on a lawโฃ enforcement officer, posession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and resisting arrest, โคand also two counts of possession of ammunitionโ by a convictedโ felon and possession of methamphetamine.
A search of the residence โคfollowing the shootingโ revealed threeโค firearms – a.22-caliber rifle,a 12-gauge shotgun,and a .410 shotgun – displayed โคon a wall โฃrack. Two men who were also at the residence withโ Williams were arrested and charged with firearms violations.
Deputy Lane had โฃbeen with the Polk County sheriff’sโ Office for just โover two years at the time of his death. โฃHe is survived by his โwife and daughter. The case garneredโ significant attention in the central Florida community, prompting an outpouring of support for law enforcement and the Lane family.