CEDAR FALLS — Investigators with the Cedar Falls Police Department have arrested a Waterloo man this week in connection with the February shooting death of a local woman.
Willie Otha Rockett, 21, was taken into custody on April 13, 2026, and officially charged with first-degree murder, a Class A felony.
The charge stems from a violent encounter that occurred on the evening of February 5, 2026. At approximately 7:28 PM, the Black Hawk County Dispatch center received a 911 call reporting a shooting at an apartment complex located at 1029 Maplewood Drive. Witnesses at the scene reported that a fight had broken out between acquaintances just before the gunfire erupted.
Upon arrival, police and emergency medical personnel located 21-year-old Jaye’mya E’shay Sudduth inside apartment #8 suffering from gunshot injuries. Despite the immediate performance of life-saving measures by first responders, Sudduth succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
While authorities indicated early in the investigation that the identity of the alleged shooter was known and that there was no broader risk to the public, no charges were filed immediately following the incident. Police spent the last two months conducting extensive interviews and gathering evidence before moving forward with the arrest of Rockett. Preliminary findings suggest that the fatal dispute involved residents who lived at the Maplewood Drive address.
Rockett (pictured at top) is currently being held in the Black Hawk County Jail on a $1,000,000 bond. Under Iowa law, a conviction for first-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.