SAVANNAH, GA – Tahj Hemphill, 23, appeared in court Thursday for a preliminary hearing in connection with the death of his wife, Sgt. Denise Williams, also 23, an active-duty soldier stationed at Fort Stewart. Detectives say Williams was fatally shot and stabbed inside the couple’s shared apartment on June 30.
According to testimony from Chatham County Police Department Detective Jonathan Puhala, Hemphill called 911 around 6:30 p.m. that day and told dispatchers he had killed his wife before abruptly hanging up. Emergency responders forced entry into the apartment after receiving no response at the door.
Inside, Hemphill allegedly admitted to officers that he had shot Williams. She was found on the bedroom floor as officers secured the scene and began an investigation.
Timeline of movements and surveillance footage
Puhala testified that Hemphill left his job at FedEx at 7:08 a.m. on June 30. Surveillance from Flock cameras showed his vehicle traveling to Jacksonville, Florida, before returning to Savannah around 12:30 p.m. Ring camera footage captured him entering the apartment shortly after.
Minutes later, Hemphill was seen leaving while holding a firearm and then returning inside, according to investigators. At approximately 12:50 p.m., Williams entered the apartment. Authorities say this was the last confirmed sighting of her alive.
Later in the afternoon, around 4:30 p.m., Hemphill was seen leaving the apartment again, this time with the couple’s dog and without shoes. He returned around 6 p.m., roughly 30 minutes before placing the 911 call.
A neighbor reported hearing what sounded like a gunshot at approximately 2 p.m., Puhala testified during the hearing.
Medical findings and statements to police
The medical examiner determined that Williams had been shot three times and stabbed approximately 40 times. “She was most likely alive for the entire attack,” Puhala said during testimony. Investigators recovered a Glock 43 9 mm handgun, eight shell casings, and a knife from the apartment.
During questioning, Hemphill told investigators he believed he had consumed “tainted coffee” earlier that day while at work. He also claimed Williams was acting strangely and that the two became involved in a “tussle” before he left the apartment.
Puhala testified that Hemphill did not appear impaired during the interview, and authorities collected his blood to test for any substances.
Concerns raised before the killing
Investigators said multiple people expressed concern about Hemphill’s behavior earlier that day. A cousin contacted authorities requesting a welfare check, reporting that Hemphill claimed he was “hallucinating.”
Williams also attempted to reach Hemphill that morning and contacted her ex-husband, Manuel Almestica, when she could not get in touch with him. Almestica later provided investigators with messages exchanged with Hemphill.
Hemphill, who served as a motor transport operator in the U.S. Army from November 2021 to March 2025, is currently being held without bond at the Chatham County Jail. He faces a murder charge, and a future court date has not yet been announced.
