Crime
Dakota Sebring Seeks Justice After Surviving Severe Domestic Violence By Ex-Boyfriend Dalton Ridgeway-Williams
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A Springfield woman is fighting for accountability after surviving a brutal domestic assault that nearly claimed her life.
Dakota Sebring, who turned 24 in March 2025, says her birthday became a night of terror when she was violently attacked by her ex-boyfriend of five years, Dalton Ridgeway-Williams.
Sebring reports that the assault lasted more than an hour and involved repeated strangulation, beatings, and psychological intimidation — violence she believed she would not survive.
Although she escaped and filed a police report, she says Dalton has since violated the resulting order of protection 19 times while on pretrial release, yet has served only about 60 days in jail.
Sebring states she now lives in fear, taking every possible measure to ensure her safety, yet increasingly frustrated that “a piece of paper” cannot stop someone determined to disregard the law.
Sebring had spent her birthday evening out with friends when Dalton allegedly appeared at several of the same establishments, grabbing her and issuing verbal threats.
After multiple encounters — behavior that she describes as consistent with the cycle of abuse — she eventually agreed to meet him at his residence, hoping to de-escalate the situation through conversation.
According to Sebring, Dalton began recording her upon entry, accusing her of breaking into his home but refusing to call law enforcement.
What followed, she says, was a prolonged and violent assault.
She reports being:
- Beaten and dragged inside and outside the home
- Strangled multiple times, to the point of near unconsciousness
- Humiliated, threatened, and restrained
She ultimately escaped long enough to call 911.
Dalton fled before officers arrived and turned himself in approximately two weeks later.
He was charged with aggravated domestic battery, domestic battery, and unlawful restraint, though the restraint charge was later dismissed.
Despite the severity of the case, Sebring says Dalton repeatedly violated the court-issued protection order.
Documentation includes allegations that he:
- Contacted her directly
- Used his mother as an intermediary to reach her
- Illegally accessed her financial accounts and her vehicle
- Posted threatening and harassing messages on Facebook
— including telling her to “find a safe place to spend Thanksgiving”
Each violation, according to Sebring, resulted in minimal sanctions — often just hours or days in custody.
Sebring has been granted a two-year order of protection, but she reports that Dalton continues to post about her online, a direct violation of the court’s directives.
His upcoming court hearings largely pertain to his unrelated Class X felony drug case, and Sebring fears that her domestic violence case may simply become a bargaining chip in a plea agreement rather than a priority deserving full prosecution.
She questions why a life-threatening assault is treated as less serious than the drug charges and why repeated violations of protective orders do not carry stronger consequences.
Sebring has submitted extensive evidence — including video recordings, text messages, photographs, surveillance footage, and police documentation — and hopes the justice system will finally intervene meaningfully.
She emphasizes that she remains at risk so long as Dalton continues to face minimal repercussions.
Despite the trauma she endured, Sebring recently completed nursing school and is preparing to graduate, determined to move forward with her life.
In addition to the alleged violations of the protection order, Dalton has a prior criminal history.
In 2024, he was arrested after authorities reportedly found:
- 23 pounds of marijuana
- Three firearms
- Three pounds of THC wax
- $44,477 in cash
He was charged with being an armed habitual criminal, unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, delivery of more than 5,000 grams of marijuana, and armed violence.
Crime
Greenville County Murder-Suicide: Chloe Jade Brown and Dreak Wright Dead After Elmwood Avenue Shooting
GREENVILLE, South Carolina — A fatal shooting at a home on Elmwood Avenue in Greenville County claimed the lives of a man and a woman on Tuesday evening, October 13, 2026.
The victims have been identified in information shared with the public as Chloe Jade Brown, a young mother, and Dreak Wright. The incident has been described as a suspected murder-suicide.
The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were called to Elmwood Avenue before 9 p.m. after receiving a report of a shooting.
Upon arrival, they found a man and a woman who had both sustained fatal gunshot wounds.
According to the supplied account, Wright allegedly shot Brown before taking his own life. The identities and sequence of events should be treated as reported information until confirmed by authorities.
Chloe Jade Brown has been remembered by friends and loved ones as a caring mother and a bright presence in their lives.
Following news of the deadly incident, tributes expressed grief over her death and concern for the children she leaves behind. Those mourning her have offered prayers for her children, family and everyone affected by the tragedy.
The loss of a mother has prompted particular concern for the children’s well-being and the emotional support they may need as they cope with their loss.
Some people sharing tributes to Brown alleged that she had experienced domestic violence. However, the information available does not independently confirm those claims or establish whether domestic violence played a role in the shooting.
Authorities have not provided further details in the supplied report about the circumstances leading up to the incident, the relationship between the victims or any previous reports of domestic disputes.
These details should be verified before being presented as established facts.
Deputies with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Elmwood Avenue residence before 9 p.m. Tuesday. They found both victims dead from gunshot wounds, according to the agency’s initial account.
The incident has been described as a murder-suicide in the supplied information, but additional official confirmation is needed regarding the sequence of events and the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The tragedy has left friends and loved ones mourning both individuals, while tributes to Brown have highlighted the impact her death will have on her children.