Mom of three shot dead during home invasion

In an unsettling turn of events, a Colorado mother of three, lost her life in a violent home invasion on their farm in Ecuador.

Francesca Williams met an untimely end on May 20th when a group of unidentified men trespassed onto her family’s property. Her husband, Michael, three teenage daughters, and father were present during the horrific incident.

In the course of the incident, Michael was assaulted, likely with a brick. This caused him to be unconscious. His father-in-law, John, a man plagued with numerous health issues such as emphysema and dementia, sustained multiple stab wounds.

Francesca, who was attending to laundry outdoors, intervened upon witnessing her father’s assault. She was tragically shot in the back and did not survive. Her three daughters were spared any physical harm during the home invasion.

Rachel, one of her daughters who saw part of the violent scene, recounted the horrifying experience. She spotted her mother fending off an attacker moments before she heard gunfire.

Following the initial confrontation, the assailants invaded the family’s home. Rachel revealed a strange question made by the invaders in Spanish about the whereabouts of a ‘large aunt.’ This question suggested that the family might have been mistakenly targeted.

The intruders subsequently subdued Michael and plundered the home, escaping with several valuable items such as computers and iPads.

In the aftermath of the ordeal, Michael and his daughters rushed Francesca to the hospital, but she couldn’t be saved.

Marianna Bacilla, Francesca’s adoptive mother, has initiated a GoFundMe campaign to assist the bereaved family, raising over $28,000 so far. Bacilla shared that Francesca was a California native from Poway, an alumna of the University of California-San Diego with a Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics.

Sadly, Francesca had been struggling with a severe tropical parasitic infection. Her health necessitated a temporary return to the United States for treatment before they returned to Ecuador.