Wife of former judge charged in Texas prosecutor murders

GlobalPost

The wife of a former Texas judge has been charged with capital murder after confessing that she and her husband were involved in the deaths of a Kaufman County district attorney, his wife and another prosecutor, according to an arrest warrant released Wednesday.

Kim Lene Williams was arrested Wednesday after telling investigators that her husband, Eric Lyle Williams, was the gunman who killed former district attorney Mike McLelland and his wife Cynthia on Mar. 30, and assistant district attorney Mark Hasse on Jan. 31.

Eric Williams was taken into custody over the weekend and charged with making a "terroristic threat". He remains in custody but has not yet been charged in the murders.

According to the affidavit, Kim Williams confessed to investigators that she was involved in the killings and "described in detail her role". 

She also "gave details of both offenses which had not been made public," the affidavit said.

The Williams' home was searched on Friday as part of an investigation into the deaths.

More from GlobalPost: Former judge probed in Texas prosecutor deaths faces "terrorism" charge

Officials were originally concerned that white supremacist group, the Aryan Brotherhood, was behind the slayings.

But now it appears that revenge was the true motive behind the murders.

Eric Williams, a justice of the peace in Kaufman County, was convicted last year of stealing three computer monitors owned by the county. The case was prosecuted by both McLelland and Hasse.

After his conviction, Williams lost his law license and his position as justice of the peace. In Kim Williams' affidavit, police outlined how Eric Williams held McLelland and Hasse responsible for his prosecution and loss of his career.

McLelland and Hasse were both aware of Williams' feelings and "regularly carried handguns after the Eric Williams jury trial because they believed Eric Williams to be a threat to their personal safety," the affidavit read.

Kaufman County Judge Bruce Wood told reporters Tuesday that McLelland believed that Eric Williams was responsible for Hasse's death. He reiterated that fear on the Wednesday before he was killed. 

"He thought that from Day One," Wood said. "He never wavered. … He said he knew he did it, but he just couldn't get the evidence to prove he did it."

Ballistics experts are reportedly testing about 20 weapons found in a storage locker belonging to Eric Williams. 

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