The arrest affidavit for murder suspect Eric Williams gives great insight into how the investigators in the Hasse and McLelland murder cases put together the case against Williams and his wife Kim. The couple were both charged with capital murder in connection to the deaths of Mark Hasse, Mike McLelland, and Cynthia McLelland.
The arrest affidavit for murder suspect Eric Williams gives great insight into how the investigators in the Hasse and McLelland murder cases put together the case against Williams and his wife Kim. The couple were both charged with capital murder in connection to the deaths of Mark Hasse, Mike McLelland, and Cynthia McLelland.
The affidavit dated April 18, 2013, was written by Sgt. Matt Woodall, a member of the Criminal Investigations Unit in the Kaufman County Sheriff's Office. In the affidavit he addresses the fact that in March 2012, Eric Williams “was convicted in a jury trial of the felony offenses of Burglary of a Building and Theft by Public Servant in Kaufman County.” Mark Hasse and Mike McLelland were the prosecuting attorney's in the jury trial of those cases. After being found guilty, Williams was removed from office, suspended without pay, and he his law license was suspended.
The affidavit says that Hasse and McLelland started regularly carrying guns after the Williams trial, and that they felt he blamed them for his removal from office. They also felt he was a threat to their personal safety. Hasse was shot and killed on January 31, 2013 in “an employee parking area approximately one block” from the Courthouse in Kaufman. The assailant was described as wearing all dark clothing and a hoody or mask. Hasse was shot multiple times by a weapon, that according to Sgt. Woodall, “appeared to be capable of firing a .38 or .357 caliber cartridge.” The Sgt. believes the weapon was a revolver, possibly a Smith and Wesson or Ruger.
On the evening of March 30, 2013, the bodies of Mike and Cynthia McLelland were found inside their Forney home on Blarney Stone Way. Both victims had been shot multiple times and evidence left at the scene indicated that the “firearm used to kill both of these victims was a weapon capable of firing a .223 caliber cartridge.” Numerous spent .223 casings were found at the scene. The bodies and casings were “found in the living room area inside the house, where there was significant blood evidence at the scene.” Investigators believe the couple were shot around 6:40 a.m. that day.
On April 1, officials received information from a friend of Eric Williams who had served with him in the Texas State Guard. Just before New Year's Day 2013, Williams asked his friend to rent a storage facility for his in-laws. Williams told him he did not want to rent it in his name because of his ongoing legal problem. The friend rented a storage unit in Seagoville and Williams paid him cash for one year of rental fees. Also on April 1, another of Williams' friend came forward with information that Williams had asked him on January 4, 2013 how to get rid of an “upper” for an AR-15. The upper is used for ballistics comparisons on that weapon.
The FBI obtained records from Lexis Nexus which showed that someone using Eric Williams computer IP address had spent “approximately one hour to search for information regarding Mr. Hasse. On that same day, that IP address was used to search for information on Mike McLelland. On January 23, just eight days before Hasse's murder, the same IP address searched for more info on Mr. Hasse, and also searched a license plate number of one of Mr. Hasse's neighbors. Sgt. Woodall wrote that he believes “these searches are very possibly indicative of pre-offense surveillance of the victim.”
Law enforcement officers interviewed Eric Williams on April 11 at his home and he told them he had only conducted internet searches on Hasse and McLelland after their murders. Williams also gave authorities permission that day to search his residence. The officers observed guns and components and parts of guns at Williams' residence. They also observed “four rifle stocks which were compatible with an AR-type rifle weapons-platform which commonly fires a .223 caliber projectile.”
After the consented search of his residence, the officers left. An FBI agent observed Williams driving his black 2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac and moving items between his home and his in-law's home just down the road. Williams sent authorities an email that same day, claiming he was at home during the time Mark Hasse was killed, and was at home during the McLelland murders.
Search warrants for Williams residence and his in-law's residence were issued on April 12, 2013. The affidavit continues with the info that the title information of a 2004 white Ford Crown Victoria purchased on February 23, 2013 by a “Richard Greene” was found at Eric Williams home during the April 12 search warrant execution on his residence. His laptop and desktop computers were confiscated and it was determined that he sent a terrorist threat via email, in which he made threats against Kaufman County officials, after the McLelland's bodies were found. Texas Rangers then placed Eric Williams under arrest for the offense of making a Terrorist Threat.
Also located inside the Williams residence was a .44 caliber Dessert Eagle handgun, a gun vise, night vision googles, tactical boots, a “baclava-type mask”, and multiple cell phones. The search of his in-law's house led to the recovery of two .357 caliber handguns and a pair of binoculars.
The FBI watched security camera video from a neighbor of the McLellands and found that a white Ford Crown Victoria entered the neighborhood shortly before the murders are believe to have occurred. The video also shows the same vehicle leaving the neighborhood shortly after the murders occurred. Investigators found the person who sold the Crown Victoria to “Richard Greene.” The seller identified Eric Williams in a photo line-up as the person who identified himself as Richard Greene and to whom he sold the car.
After obtaining a search warrant for the Seagoville storage unit, officers located the white Crown Victoria. They also “seized 41 firearms, including eight .223 caliber weapons, two .38 caliber handguns, and one .357 caliber handgun.” They recovered “ammunition consistent with that used during the Hasse murder; ammunition consistent with that used in the McLelland murders, numerous police badges, an incendiary device believed used to destroy evidence, and a crossbow.” They also observed security camera footage from the storage facility which shows that on March 30, shortly before the McLelland murders, Williams Ford Explorer is seen entering the storage unit, then the white Crown Victoria is seen leaving the storage unit. A short time after the McLelland murders, the security footage shows the white Crown Victoria return to the storage unit, and the black Ford Explorer leaving the facility shortly thereafter.
On April 16, Kim Williams was interviewed by investigators. She confessed that “she drove with her husband Eric Williams to both the Mark Hasse murder scene and also the scene of the McLelland murders." The affidavit continues, “She further admitted that her husband, Eric Williams, shot and killed Mr. Hasse and the McLellands. During this confession, Kim Williams revealed knowledge of specific details of the murders which had not been released publicly.” On April 17, she was charged with capital murder related to the death of Mr. Hasse and the McLellands.
Eric Williams is charged with capital murder and is being held on a $23 million bond. Kim Williams is charged with capital murder and is being held on a $10 million bond.
*Edited on 4/19 9:56 a.m. to reflect that Kim Williams admitted driving "with" her husband to the Hasse murder and McLelland murders.*
