Grandview man charged in stabbing death; slain woman’s sister weeps for all women

If only Lynnette Williams had been able to call for help, or just walk away — somehow save herself, her sister mourned Tuesday.

The boyfriend living with Williams — and the father of their 4-month-old son — was charged Tuesday with stabbing the 27-year-old woman Sunday night. Her body was found set on fire near a dumpster outside her Grandview apartment.

Kasanova Callier, 27, of Grandview, was charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action.

“Love doesn’t cost a thing,” Williams’ 33-year-old sister, Nina Williams, said as a warning to other women. “It doesn’t hurt, or feel weird. Love is love. If you see warning signs, pay attention to them. I don’t want anyone else to feel the pain we’re feeling now.”

Lynnette, six years younger than her big sister, was “my Minnie Mouse,” Nina Williams said. “She was so quiet, so gentle.”

She had steady work at a warehouse job and had let Callier live with her at her apartment as they were making plans to raise their baby, Saint, together, Nina Williams said.

“She took care of ‘Kas,’ and she took care of Saint,” she said.

These were exciting times for both of the sisters, she said. Lynnette had her newborn, and Nina is expecting her third child. She finds out Wednesday whether it is a girl or boy. And the older sister is also planning a wedding.

“Lynnette,” Nina Williams said, “never missed a beat” in helping with the child-rearing plans and the planning of the wedding. “I feel like I’ve been robbed of all of that.”

Grandview police were sent to the 6700 block of East 119th Street Sunday night after reports that a deceased body was on fire next to an apartment complex dumpster, police said.

Officers found the body and quickly put out the fire. They tracked marks in the snow that showed the body had been dragged from a nearby stairwell, according court records. Shoe prints allegedly belonging to Callier were found near the drag marks.

They also found blood and spoke to a witness who heard a disturbance in the apartment, where police had responded previously on domestic disturbances involving Williams and Callier.

Williams sustained deep cuts to her throat and a stab wound to her abdomen, according to the medical examiner’s report.

Police found Callier and their infant child outside the apartment and took him into custody.

Callier allegedly told Grandview investigators that Williams was a bad mother, and he attacked her because she had tried to stab him, authorities said.

Nina Williams first saw reports in the news of a woman dead outside the apartments where her sister lived. She went to the apartments and was “shocked” to see the yellow police tape around her sister’s apartment.

“You hear about young women being murdered,” she said. “You keep hearing it and hearing it.”

Her sister and Callier had some difficulties together, she said, “but (Lynnette) had a forgiving heart. She felt like she could make Kas a better person.”

But now the family is dealing with burial costs and looking at how to take care of the baby, she said. They have set up a “Justice For Lynnette” GoFundMe.com page for help.

She wishes she or anyone could have interceded. She wants other women in danger in a relationship to be protected, too. “Call for someone,” she said. “Or walk away. I want to do anything I can do to help anybody.”

This story was originally published January 16, 2018 at 1:09 PM with the headline "Grandview man charged in stabbing death; slain woman’s sister weeps for all women."