Authorities in Michigan say a 22-year-old Ohio woman has been charged with the premeditated murder of her mother, allegedly gunning her down in a violent dispute over child custody. The victim, Ada Mae Simmons-Jones, 45, was discovered dead inside her Southfield home on Bainbridge Drive on October 5, after suffering multiple gunshot wounds. Police later identified her daughter, Riley Donaldson, as the suspect, linking her to the crime through evidence left at the scene.
According to the Southfield Police Department, officers responded to reports of gunfire and discovered Simmons-Jones unresponsive inside the residence. The victim’s 77-year-old mother-in-law, who was in the home during the shooting, told police she heard several gunshots before someone ran from the house. Surveillance footage from nearby homes showed a black Chrysler 300 arriving just before the shooting and a person — later identified as Donaldson — fleeing moments later. Detectives also found a purse containing Donaldson’s identification inside the residence, confirming her presence at the scene.
Authorities believe the killing stemmed from a custody dispute between Donaldson and her mother. Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren revealed that Simmons-Jones had been granted custody of Donaldson’s 3-year-old daughter, who was also inside the home when the shooting occurred. Although Simmons-Jones reportedly allowed her daughter visitation rights, police said the arrangement had been a point of contention. “This was not a sudden act of rage — it was premeditated,” Chief Barren stated during a Tuesday press conference.
Investigators noted that police had been called to the same home weeks earlier. On August 26, Donaldson allegedly took her daughter, stole her mother’s vehicle and family dog, and fled to Ohio. The child and vehicle were later recovered, and although police urged Simmons-Jones to press charges, she declined, instead petitioning for her daughter to receive mental health treatment. Despite these concerns, Chief Barren said Donaldson appeared fully aware of her actions at the time of the killing.
When officers arrested Donaldson the following day in Ohio, she allegedly referred to herself as “God” and immediately demanded a lawyer. “She’s very conscious of the legal system,” Barren said. “When individuals call themselves God, they’re declaring control over who lives and who dies.” Donaldson has been charged with first-degree murder and felony firearm possession and is being held without bond at the Oakland County Jail.
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald called the killing “a devastating loss for the family,” noting that while justice cannot undo the tragedy, her office is committed to securing accountability. Donaldson is scheduled to appear in court on October 22, while custody of her 3-year-old daughter has been granted to her grandfather. “In essence,” Chief Barren said solemnly, “this family has lost two people — a mother and a daughter.”