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Texas executes man for paraplegic's contract murder
HUNTSVILLE, Texas (Reuters) -- Texas executed a man Tuesday who was convicted in the murder-for-hire killing of a wheelchair-bound woman that was paid for by a couple who had taken out a life insurance policy on the victim. Richard Head Williams, 33, was executed by lethal injection for the March 27, 1997, stabbing of Jeannette Williams, no relation. The victim, 44, was a crack addict who had been paralyzed when her husband shot her 22 years before. Williams was the ninth inmate put to death in the state this year, which is by far the nation's death penalty leader. Bruce and Michelle Gilmore, who had occasionally let the 44-year-old victim live with them, had taken out a $25,000 life insurance policy on her. Testimony at Williams' trial showed that they offered him $12,000 from the policy to kill her. Williams, who had just been freed from a 10-year burglary sentence, told police he planned to use the money to start a rap recording studio. The Gilmores, who are serving life sentences, took Williams and the victim to Houston, ostensibly to buy cocaine. Instead, Williams slashed the woman's throat, stabbed her repeatedly and left her lying in the street. The Gilmores sped away in their car, leaving $400 at a friend's house for Williams. When Williams discovered the Gilmores had shortchanged him, he swore he was going to murder them, testimony showed. Police caught him after the Gilmores were captured and implicated him. In his final statement, Williams apologized to three of the victim's brothers who were in attendance "I was not a monster like they said I was. I made a mistake and this mistake cost -- but they won't cost no more," Williams said as he lay strapped to the gurney in the death chamber." For his final meal, Williams requested two chili cheese dogs, two cheeseburgers, two orders of onion rings with French dressing, a turkey salad with French fries, egg rolls, chocolate cake, apple pie, butter pecan ice cream, one peach, three Dr. Pepper sodas, jalapenos, ketchup and mayonnaise. He had been the first of two inmates scheduled for execution in as many days, but a federal appellate court stayed the execution of Michael Johnson to review his case. Williams is the 298th inmate put to death in Texas since it resumed executions in 1982, six years after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted a national death penalty ban. Copyright 2003 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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