Wife of fired justice of the peace is charged with capital murder in Texas prosecutor slayings
Updated: The wife of a fired justice of the peace in Texas has confessed to plotting the killings of Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland, his wife, and another prosecutor in the office, and says her husband was the shooter, according to the arrest warrant seen below.
Kim Williams has been charged with one count of capital murder in connection with the killings, according to a published report in the Dallas Morning News Crime Blog.
Kim Williams is being held on $10 million bond on the capital murder charge, according to the Dallas Morning News. Her husband, Eric Williams, has been charged with making a terroristic threat based on detectives’ belief that he is linked to an email threatening another attack if demands were not met. The email was sent on Easter, the day after the bodies of McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, were discovered.
WFAA, the New York Times and CBSDFW also reported that Kim Williams had been charged with capital murder, but said the sheriff’s department did not indicate whether the charge was in connection with the prosecutor slayings.
Eric Williams was convicted of theft last year for taking three of the county’s computer monitors in May 2011, and he is appealing the conviction. He was sentenced to probation and his law license was suspended. He was prosecuted by McLelland and assistant DA Mark Hasse, who was fatally shot in a courthouse parking lot on Jan. 31 of this year.
According to a prior report by the Dallas Morning News Crime Blog, police searched the Williams home and a storage locker rented on Eric Williams’ behalf, seizing 20 weapons and a Ford Crown Victoria. The blog said authorities were testing the car and some of the guns.
Eric Williams has maintained his innocence and has said he cooperated with authorities.
Updated at 1:42 p.m. to add details from the arrest warrant.
