Kaufman County Murders: What Happened to Eric Williams?
A FORMER judge went on a killing spree after losing his license to practice law.
In addition to being convicted of theft, Eric Lyle Williams was also found guilty of the Kaufman County murders.
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What happened to Eric Williams?
On May 24, 2011, Eric Williams was arrested for stealing computer monitors from a local county building.
On March 19, 2012, the former Kaufman County justice of the peace was convicted of theft, resigned from office, and lost his license to practice law.
On April 18, 2013, Eric and his wife Kim Williams were arrested for the murders of Michael McLelland, Cynthia Woodward McLelland and Mark Hasse.
On December 4, 2014, Eric was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death by lethal injection.
On December 30 of the same year, his wife Kim was also found guilty and sentenced to 40 years in prison after agreeing to a deal.
Eric remains incarcerated on death row in the Polunsky Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
What are the Kaufman County Murders?
The Kaufman County Murders refers to the shooting of Michael McLelland, Cynthia Woodward-McLelland and Mark Hasse.
After months of investigation, police discovered that Eric Williams’ killing spree was carried out with the support of his wife Kim.
At the time of the murders, Williams was out of prison and on parole.
On January 31, 2013, Mark Hasse was found dead after being shot while walking from his car to the Kaufman County Courthouse.
Hasse, 57, was the county’s assistant district attorney.
Coincidentally, he was also part of the prosecution in the 2012 Williams burglary trial.
On March 30, 2013, the lifeless bodies of 63-year-old Michael McLelland and his 65-year-old wife Cynthia Woodward were found at their home in Talty, Texas.
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Like Hasse, the deceased couple was also shot.
McLelland was the district attorney for Kaufman County and a member of the prosecution team in the 2012 Williams theft trial.
How can I watch the Kaufman Murders episode of Dateline?
Williams’ complicity in the Kaufman County murders is retold in a Dateline NBC episode entitled “Bad Intentions.”
On June 9, 2023, Bad Intentions is scheduled to air this Friday at 9 p.m. EST via the aforementioned network.
The show features host Andrea Canning collecting testimony from people involved in the investigation.
There are a few streaming options available for those who miss Friday’s broadcast.
Viewers who miss the premiere can watch the Kaufman Murders episode on Hulu or Peacock.