Robert W. Williams

Robert Wayne Williams (c. 1951 – December 14, 1983) was convicted of the January 5, 1979 murder of Willie Kelly, a 67 year old security guard. He was executed in 1983 by the State of Louisiana by electric chair. He became the first person to be executed in Louisiana since 1976 when the death penalty was reinstated.

Overview

On January 5, 1979, the Williams and Ralph Holmes entered the A & P Supermarket located at 3525 Perkins Road in Baton Rouge. Both men placed ski masks over their faces and Williams pulled out a 12-gauge sawed-off shotgun. They then approached the security guard, Willie Kelly, age 67, who was bagging groceries. Ralph Holmes tried to remove Kelly's pistol from his holster. As Kelly made a move with his hand toward his pistol, Williams yelled “Don't try it”, and immediately shot Kelly in the face at point blank range. Williams and Holmes then proceeded to complete the robbery. During this process, Holmes pistol-whipped one of the customers, and Williams accidentally shot two people in their feet. The police received a telephone call from an informant implicating Holmes, Williams and Williams' wife. Following their arrest, both Williams and his wife gave confessions which implicated themselves in the crime.

See also

* Capital punishment in Louisiana
* Capital punishment in the United States

Sources

* [http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/usexecute.htm U.S. Executions Since 1976] . "The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney". Retrieved on 2007-11-12.
* Wendell Smith. [http://backissues.cjrarchives.org/year/91/5/prison_cruel.asp Cruel and Unusual?] . "Columbia Journalism Review" (September/October 1991). Retrieved on 2007-11-12.
* Jason DeParle. [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1316/is_v18/ai_4153173 Executions aren't news - why they should be] . "Washington Monthly" (March 1986). Retrieved on 2007-11-12.
* Maggio v. Williams, ussc|464|46|1983. Retrieved on 2007-11-12.
* State v. Williams 383 So.2d 369 (La., 1980).