The Killer’s Freedom: 5 Shocking Facts About The Man Who Murdered Serena Williams’ Sister

The tragic story of Yetunde Price, the older half-sister of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams, remains a profound and painful chapter in the family’s history, a constant reminder of the senseless violence that once plagued their hometown of Compton, California.

As of December 10, 2025, the most significant and emotionally charged update in this decades-old case revolves not around the 2003 murder itself, but the controversial 2018 release of the convicted killer, Robert Maxfield, and the devastating emotional toll that news took on Serena Williams moments before one of her most high-profile matches.

The Tragic Loss: Yetunde Price's Life and Legacy

Yetunde Hawanya Tara Price was much more than the half-sister of two of the greatest athletes of all time; she was the eldest of the five sisters and a central figure in the Williams family structure. She was a mother, a registered nurse, and for a time, served as a personal assistant and confidante to both Venus and Serena Williams.

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Yetunde was born on August 9, 1972, in Saginaw, Michigan, to Oracene Price and her first husband, Yusef Rasheed.

• Full Name: Yetunde Hawanya Tara Price
• Born: August 9, 1972, in Saginaw, Michigan
• Died: September 14, 2003, in Compton, California
• Cause of Death: Murder (Gunshot Wound)
• Siblings: Half-sisters Venus Williams and Serena Williams (from Oracene Price and Richard Williams); Full sisters Lyndrea Price and Isha Price.
• Occupation: Registered Nurse, Personal Assistant, Entrepreneur (Owned a beauty salon).
• Children: Yetunde was a mother to three children.

Her life was tragically cut short on September 14, 2003, at the age of 31. Yetunde was sitting in a parked SUV with her boyfriend, Rolland Wormley, near a suspected gang house in Compton when Robert Maxfield, a member of the Southside Compton Crips gang, opened fire with an assault rifle.

Robert Maxfield: The Killer and His Shocking 2018 Release

The man convicted in the death of Yetunde Price is Robert Edward Maxfield, a reputed gang member from Compton. The circumstances of the crime and his subsequent conviction are key to understanding the complexity of the case and the family’s enduring pain.

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The Crime and Conviction

The shooting was a random act of gang violence. Maxfield and his associates reportedly mistook the SUV Yetunde was in for a vehicle belonging to a rival gang. Yetunde was struck in the chest and died at the scene, while her boyfriend survived the attack. Maxfield was arrested shortly after the shooting.

In 2006, Robert Maxfield was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to 15 years in state prison. The voluntary manslaughter charge, rather than first-degree murder, reflected the prosecution's belief that the shooting was not premeditated but rather a spontaneous, gang-related act of violence.

The Controversial Parole

The most recent and defining update in the case occurred in August 2018 when Robert Maxfield was released from prison on parole after serving nearly 15 years of his sentence. This early release was a massive shock to the Williams family and reignited the public conversation about the justice system's handling of gang-related crimes.

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While Maxfield’s release was legally sound under California state law, the timing and manner in which Serena Williams learned of it became a moment of intense public scrutiny, revealing the depth of her trauma.

Serena Williams' Emotional Battle: Forgiveness and the Konta Match

The news of Robert Maxfield’s parole was delivered to Serena Williams in the most jarring possible way, creating a powerful, unexpected link between her personal tragedy and her professional career.

The Moment Before the Loss

In 2018, just ten minutes before she was scheduled to take the court against Johanna Konta at the Silicon Valley Classic, Serena Williams was scrolling through Instagram when she learned that her sister’s killer had been released.

The immediate emotional impact was catastrophic. Serena, who was expected to win easily, suffered the worst loss of her career at the time, falling 6-1, 6-0 to Konta. She later admitted the news had completely derailed her focus, stating, "I couldn't shake it out of my mind."

This incident highlighted the brutal reality that for the Williams sisters, the pain of Yetunde's death is not a historical footnote, but a trauma that can be re-triggered instantly, even in the high-pressure environment of professional tennis.

The Struggle for Forgiveness

In the years following the parole, Serena Williams has spoken candidly about her struggle with the concept of forgiveness, a theme that has added tremendous depth to her public persona.

She has expressed a deep, intellectual desire to forgive the man who took her sister, largely motivated by her own daughter, Olympia. "I want to forgive, I have to forgive," she has said, explaining that she wants to set an example for her child. However, she has also been honest about the emotional difficulty of the process, admitting that she has not yet been able to fully forgive Maxfield.

This internal conflict—the desire to move past the anger for her own peace and her daughter's future, versus the raw, justified pain of losing a sister—is a powerful component of her life story, a testament to her humanity beyond the tennis court.

The Lasting Impact and Yetunde’s Memorial

The murder of Yetunde Price serves as a tragic symbol of the dangers that the Williams family overcame to achieve their global success. The Compton, California roots that Richard Williams championed as part of their narrative were also the setting for their greatest heartbreak.

Yetunde's memory has been honored through various initiatives. The Yetunde Price Resource Center (YPRC) was established in Compton to provide support to victims of violence and trauma in the community. The center, a testament to her life and the family's commitment to healing, focuses on providing resources for mental health, education, and community support in the area where the tragedy occurred.

Furthermore, her presence in the family's life was movingly depicted in the 2021 biographical film *King Richard*, which brought her story to a new generation of viewers. Serena Williams revealed that seeing Yetunde portrayed on screen brought her to tears, demonstrating that the grief, though managed, is never truly gone.

The story of the "Serena Williams sister killer" is not just a true-crime footnote; it is a story of resilience, the enduring struggle with forgiveness, and the commitment of a family to turn profound loss into a powerful legacy of community aid.