In a week’s time, charges and arrests have been made for the kidnapping of Jamal White. According to CBS 58 News, Corey Williams, 25, has officially been charged in connection with the kidnapping of 7-year-old Jamal White, whose disappearance on July 11 led to a statewide Amber Alert.
Prosecutors say Williams is now facing multiple felony counts, including:
Kidnapping (as a party to a crime)
Taking hostages (as a party to a crime)
Contributing to the delinquency of a child (as a party to a crime)
To add, a 14-year-old has also been arrested for allegedly playing a role in the shocking abduction, which unfolded in broad daylight outside White’s Milwaukee home.
Snatched From the Sidewalk
Previously reported by BOSSIP, White was riding his bike near W. Hustis Street when a white Jeep pulled up to the house. The boy’s father told police that several individuals jumped out with guns, prompting him to run inside.
Surveillance footage captured what happened next: one suspect chased the father while another grabbed White and carried him back to the Jeep, which then fled the scene.
In less than 24 hours, police found White alive inside a duplex on 39th and Lloyd. He was upstairs—Williams, however, was hiding in the attic.
“He Grabbed Me By My Shirt”
CBS 58 obtains the complaint, citing Jamal told officers that a man chased and grabbed him by the back of the shirt, forcing him into a car with three strangers. Once at the house, he overheard the driver—later identified as Williams—speaking on the phone with his mother.
The child reportedly said he heard the man tell her to come pick him up. She never did.
A Robbery Plan That Turned Into a Hostage Plot
CBS 58 reports Williams gave a detailed confession, telling detectives he’d been approached two weeks earlier by someone who wanted to rob Jamal’s mother. The claim: that she was allegedly a “well-known drug dealer,” stating he had seen her on FaceTime with “bricks of drugs.”
He said the plan was to go to her home, guns in hand, and rob her. He even removed the license plates from the white Jeep ahead of time.
When the group didn’t see the mother at the house, Williams admitted the plan shifted. They chose to rob the father instead—but ended up taking White when they couldn’t get to the parents.
The complaint says Williams told police he initially didn’t physically grab White.
“One of the others grabbed Jamal and took him into the Jeep,” said Williams.
$100K Ransom Demand and a Botched Exit Plan
Once White was in their custody, things escalated. CBS 58 reports that the suspects contacted the boy’s mother and demanded $100,000 and jewelry for his return.
Williams, who claimed he was originally promised $10,000, told investigators he wanted more after the kidnapping occurred.
After the Amber Alert went out, Williams said the others dropped White off at his house. When police came knocking, Williams left the child in a bedroom and hid in the attic, where he was ultimately found and arrested.
What Happens Next
Corey Williams appeared in court on July 18, where a judge set his bond at $100,000 and ordered him to have no contact with White or his father.
Prosecutors stated that Williams confessed to playing a central role in the kidnapping plot—but in court, he pushed back. In CBS 58, officials claim he considered harming Jamal after the ransom wasn’t paid, Williams responded in real time.
“That’s a lie,” said Williams.
As of now, Williams remains in custody and faces multiple felony charges tied to the abduction and the failed robbery scheme. Meanwhile, the unnamed 14-year-old co-defendant is also facing consequences for their alleged involvement. The 14-year-old involved has not been publicly named due to their age.
