Former judge probed in Texas prosecutor deaths faces “terrorism” charge

GlobalPost

A former judge probed in the murders of two Kaufman County, Texas prosecutors was arrested and charged with making a "terroristic threat".

Eric Williams, a former justice of the peace, was scheduled to go in front of a judge Saturday morning, a Kaufman County Jail spokesperson said.

According to booking information reported by NBC News, Williams was arrested for one count of making a terroristic threat and two counts of insufficient bond. 

Williams' home was searched on Friday as part of an investigation into the deaths of Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, and assistant district attorney Mark Hasse. 

In January, Hasse was fatally shot just a few steps from the county courthouse in broad daylight. The McLelland's bodies were found in their home on March 30.

Investigators were interested in talking to Williams because of the judge's own high-profile trial last year.

Williams was charged with theft and kicked out of office with his law license suspended.

His attorney, David Sergi, released a statement Friday saying his client "has cooperated with law enforcement and vigorously denies any and all allegations."

"He wishes simply to get on with his life and hopes that the perpetrators are brought to justice," Sergi said.

Williams told NBC 5 in an April 3 interview that he had nothing to do with the McLellands' murder and doesn't even own a gun.

"If I was in their shoes, I would want to talk to me," Williams said in an interview at his house. "In the investigators' minds, they want to check with me to do their process of elimination."

Williams is being held on three million dollars bond.

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