Stanley Williams

Infobox Criminal
subject_name = Stanley Tookie Williams III


image_size = 130px
image_caption = Williams' mug shot from 2000.
date_of_birth = birth date|1953|12|29
place_of_birth = New Orleans Louisiana, U.S.
date_of_death = death date and age|2005|12|13|1953|12|29
place_of_death = Marin County, California, U.S.
charge = Murder, robbery, firearms
penalty = Death Penalty
status = Executed
occupation = Gangster/Children's author
spouse = none
parents =
children = Stanley Tookie Williams III (December 29, 1953 – December 13, 2005), born in New Orleans, Louisiana, was a convicted murderer and an early leader of the Crips, a notorious American street gang which had its roots in South Central Los Angeles in 1971. In December 2005 he was executed for the 1979 murders of Albert Owens, Yen-Yi Yang, Tsai-Shai Lin, and Yee-Chen Lin. While in prison, he was nominated for a Nobel prize for authoring books that were intended to help disenfranchised youth.

Williams refused to aid police investigations with any information against his gang, and was implicated in attacks on guards and other inmates as well as multiple escape plots. In 1993, Williams began making changes in his behavior, and became an anti-gang activist while on Death Row in California. Although he continued to refuse to assist police in their gang investigations, he renounced his gang affiliation and apologized for the Crips' founding, while never admitting to the crimes for which he was convicted. He co-wrote children's books and participated in efforts intended to prevent youths from joining gangs.Paul Van Slambrouck, "On Death Row, an Author and Nobel Nominee," "Christian Science Monitor" (28 November 2000) p. 1. A biographical TV-movie entitled "" was made in 2004, and featured Jamie Foxx as Williams.

On December 13 2005, Williams was executed by lethal injection after clemency and a four-week stay of execution were both rejected by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, amidst debate over the death penalty and whether Williams' anti-gang advocacy in prison represented genuine atonement. Williams was the second inmate in California to be executed in 2005.

Founding of the Crips

Williams met Raymond Washington in 1971, the original Crips founder, coming from the West Side of South Central and Washington from the East Side of South Central, to form an alliance known first as the "Cribs" later to be pronounced "Crips". (Ray Washington was killed in August of 1979, his funeral took place on his birthday).The purpose for creating the gang initially was to eliminate all street gangs and create a "bull-force" neighborhood watch. Williams said "we started out — at least my intent was to, in a sense — address all of the so-called neighboring gangs in the area and to put, in a sense — I thought I can cleanse the neighborhood of all these, you know, marauding gangs. But I was totally wrong. And eventually, we morphed into the monster we were addressing." [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/11/30/153247]

Crimes

Williams was convicted of two separate robbery/murders in 1979. Williams always maintained his innocence, though subsequent court reviews concluded that there was no compelling reason to grant a retrial.

Court transcripts state that Williams met with a man who is only identified in court documents as "Darryl" late on Tuesday evening, February 27, 1979. [http://da.co.la.ca.us/pdf/swilliams.pdf] Williams introduced Darryl to a friend of his, Alfred Coward, a.k.a. "Blackie," a reference to his dark colored skin.

A short time after the initial meeting, Darryl, driving a brown station wagon and accompanied by Williams, drove to the home of James Garret. Coward followed the two in his 1969 Cadillac. Williams frequently stayed with Garret, and kept some of his personal effects at that location including a 12-gauge shotgun. Williams went into the Garret residence, and in about ten minutes returned with the shotgun.

The three men then went to the home of Tony Sims in Pomona, California, where they discussed where they could go to make some money. Afterward, they went to another residence, where Williams left the others for a period of time. Upon returning, Williams had a .22 caliber pistol, which he placed in the station wagon. Williams then suggested that they should all go to Pomona. Darryl and Williams got into the station wagon, Coward and Sims got into the Cadillac, and shortly thereafter they were on the freeway headed toward Pomona.

Botched robbery

Both vehicles exited the freeway in the vicinity of Whittier Boulevard, where they drove to a nearby 7-Eleven. Darryl and Sims, at the request of Williams, entered the store with the apparent intention of robbing it. Darryl was carrying the .22 pistol that Williams had deposited in the station wagon earlier. Darryl also had an AK-47 assault rifle in the trunk of the car, along with two Tec-9 submachine guns.

Seferhan, the clerk on duty at the 7-Eleven at the time, testified that he was just finishing up mopping the floor, and noticed a station wagon, along with four black men standing outside the door of the store. Sims testified that he and Darryl entered the market, after which Sims walked to the back of the store while Darryl approached Garcia and asked for a cigarette. Garcia provided and lit one for him. Sims then "walked back from the back ‘cause there was somebody in there and just walked out the door and got back in the car with Blackie. And then we left."

Williams and fellow gang member Coward reportedly became very unhappy that Darryl and Sims did not follow through on the plan. He then told the men that they would find another place to rob.

The 7-Eleven murder

Transcripts show that next Coward and Sims followed Williams and Darryl to the 7-Eleven market located at 10437 Whittier Boulevard, near Whittier, California. The store clerk, twenty-six year old Albert Lewis Owens, was sweeping the store parking lot. When Darryl and Sims entered the 7-Eleven, Owens put the broom and dustpan he was using on the hood of his car and followed them into the store. Williams and Coward followed Owens into the store.Court records show that as Darryl and Sims walked to the counter area to take money from the register, Williams walked behind Owens, pulled the sawn-off shotgun from under his jacket and told Owens to "shut up and keep walking." '

as he lay prone on the storage room floor.

Coward, and Sims then fled in the two cars and returned home to Los Angeles. They had netted approximately $180 in the robbery. Once back in Los Angeles, Sims asked Williams why he had shot Owens. Williams said that he "didn’t want to leave any witnesses." Williams also said he killed Owens "because he was white and he was killing all white people." Coward testified that Williams had bragged about the shooting, stating, "You should have heard the way he sounded when I shot him. It was hilarious," as he made gurgling or growling noises and laughed about Owens’ death.

The Brookhaven Motel murders

The Yang family, husband seventy-six year old Yen-Yi Yang, and wife sixty-three year old Tsai-Shai C. Yang, were immigrants from Taiwan. They ran the Brookhaven Motel located at 10411 South Vermont Avenue in South Central Los Angeles along with their forty-three year old daughter, Yu-Chin Yang Lin, and son Robert. Yu-Chin had recently joined them from Taiwan.

According to court transcripts, at approximately 5:00 a.m. on March 11, 1979, Stanley Williams entered the Brookhaven Motel lobby and then broke down the door that led to the private office. Inside the office, Williams shot and killed Yen-Yi, Tsai-Shai, and Yu-Chin, after which he emptied the cash register and fled the scene.

Robert, asleep with his wife in their bedroom at the motel, was awakened by the sound of somebody breaking down the door to the motel’s office. Shortly thereafter he heard a female scream, followed by gunshots. Robert entered the motel office and found that his mother, his sister, and his father had all been shot; the cash register was empty. It was later determined that the Brookhaven incident netted Stanley Williams approximately one hundred dollars.

The forensic pathologist testified that Yen-Yi Yang suffered two close range shotgun wounds, one to his left arm and abdomen, and one to the lower left chest. Tsai-Shai also received two close range wounds, one to the tailbone, and the other to the front of the abdomen, entering at the navel. Yu-Chin Lin was shot once in the upper left face area at a distance of a few feet.

Witnesses testified that Williams referred to the victims in conversations with friends as "Buddha-heads", a derogatory term for Asians.

Conviction

Stanley Williams was convicted in 1981 of all four murders with special circumstances on each count of felony murder (robbery) as well as multiple murder in the case of the Brookhaven event. The jury also convicted him of robbery in both cases, and found that he personally used a firearm in the commission of the crimes. The jury recommended the death penalty, and the judge accepted the recommendation and sentenced him to death. [http://online.ceb.com/calcases/C3/44C3d1127.htm]

From the beginning of his sentence, Williams maintained his innocence regarding the four murders, alleging prosecutorial misconduct, exclusion of exculpatory evidence, ineffective assistance of counsel, biased jury selection, and the misuse of jailhouse and government informants. [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/11/30/153247] Williams claimed that the police found "not a shred of tangible evidence, no fingerprints, no crime scenes of bloody boot prints. They didn't match my boots, nor eyewitnesses. Even the shotgun shells found conveniently at each crime scene didn't match the shotgun shells that I owned." However, the prosecution's firearms expert, a sheriff's deputy, testified during trial that the shotgun shell recovered from the Yang murder crime scene matched test shells from the shotgun owned by Stanley Williams. No second examiner verified or falsified his findings. The Defense claims this expert's methodology was "junk science at best." [http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:qVutGrYelXYJ:www.cm-p.com/pdf/executiveclemency_reply.pdf+tookie++firearms+expert+testimony&hl=en&client=firefox-a]

Williams' gun was found in the home of a couple with whom he had been living. According to the District Attorney, the husband was undergoing sentencing for receiving stolen property and tried for extortion. Williams' lawyers have claimed that the District Attorney quashed a murder investigation in exchange for their testimony. The two shells recovered from the Owens crime scene were consistent with shells fired from this gun, with no exclusionary markings. The shell recovered from the Yang crime scene was conclusively matched to Williams' weapon "to the exclusion of all other firearms." [http://da.co.la.ca.us/pdf/swilliams.pdf]

Critics claim that although he renounced gangs and apologized for his role in co-founding the Crips, Williams continued to associate with Crips members in prison. However, when contacted about Williams' alleged ongoing gang activity, Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman April Harding said there was no evidence of his gang leadership. Opponents also pointed out that he received a significant amount of money from outside sources. They stated that people who appreciate Williams' work sent him money. "It's as simple as that," said Williams' spokeswoman Barbara Becnel. [http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20051116-1659-ca-williamsexecution.html]

The prosecution removed three Blacks from serving as jurors in Williams' trial. Williams' lawyers claimed that he was convicted by a jury that had no Blacks, one Latino, one Filipino-American, and ten Caucasians. [http://www.tookie.com/tookie_fact_sheet_10.18.05.pdf] The District Attorney provided proof, however, in the form of a death certificate and the sworn affidavit of another juror, that juror #12, William James McLurkin, was black. [http://da.co.la.ca.us/pdf/swilliams.pdf] The defense responded that, contrary to the sworn affidavit, McLurkin did not appear black. They maintain that the trial record indicates that none of the lawyers -- and particularly the prosecutor -- thought Mr. McLurkin was black. McLurkin's driver license photo and the fact that both he and his mother were born in the Philippines was presented as additional evidence in a November 2005 petition for clemency. The defense, however, has neither stated whether or not his mother was actually Filipino, nor refuted the evidence that McLurkin was black. [http://www.cm-p.com/pdf/executiveclemency_reply.pdf]

According to the clemency petition, in his closing arguments, prosecuting District Attorney Robert Martin described Williams as a "Bengal tiger in captivity in a zoo" and said that the jury needed to imagine him in his natural "habitat" which was like "going into the back country, into the hinterlands." In a radio interview, Martin stated that the analogy was not meant to be racial, and instead was a metaphor to the fact that Williams appeared in court dressed in business attire much like an animal in a zoo appears more docile than it would be in the wild. [http://secure.eonstreams.com/kfi_am/jk5p120905.mp3]

According to Williams' defense attorneys, in two subsequent cases, District Attorney Robert Martin was censured by the California State Supreme Court for using race as a criterion in jury selection and had two murder convictions overturned on those grounds. [http://www.counterpunch.org/gasper10122005.html]

Williams threatens jurors

In the Court of Appeals summary of the case, [http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/ca9/newopinions.nsf/BD82194097E1066888256C3000546E6D/$file/9999018.pdf] Williams stated "that various jurors misconstrued as a threat a question that he asked defense counsel at the close of the guilt phase. The trial record shows that after the jurors returned their guilty verdicts, Williams said, 'Sons of bitches,' in a voice sufficiently loud that the court reporter included this statement in the trial transcript.""On the day that the jury began its penalty-phase deliberations, an alternate juror reported to the bailiff that he was going to get all of them."

Prison life

As inmate CDC# C29300 [http://www.corr.ca.gov/CommunicationsOffice/CapitalPunishment/PDF/StanleyWilliams.pdf] at San Quentin State Prison Williams spent 6 1/2 years in solitary confinement in the late 1980s [http://archives.cnn.com/2000/US/12/02/death.row.nobel/] for multiple assaults on guards and fellow inmates. [http://da.co.la.ca.us/pdf/swilliams.pdf] The following is taken from Stanley Williams' prison record through 1993. According to a classification report found on page 8 of filings by his lawyers during the clemency proceedings dated August 5, 2004, [http://www.cm-p.com/pdf/executiveclemency_reply_ex.pdf] Williams had no violations since that time. The prison official had observed no gang activity and complimented Williams on his behavior for the last ten years.

On June 30 1981, just two months after being sentenced, Williams was involved in a violent fight with another inmate. Williams was observed kneeling over the other inmate and striking him in the head with his closed fists. When Williams was ordered to cease fighting, he ignored the order. Only after repeated orders did Williams stop. (P. Exh. 6).

On January 26 1982, Williams was ordered to lineup for his return to his cell. Williams refused the order and became hostile. The guard then explained the line-up procedure to Williams. Williams responded by saying "you'll get yours boy, I can't do anything now because I know what the gunmen will do…one of these days I'll trick you boy." (P. Exh. 7).

On January 28 1982, Williams had two separate instances where he threw chemical substances at guards. In one of these instances, Williams threw a chemical substance in the eyes and on the face of a guard. As a result of that assault, the guard suffered from chemical burns to these areas and had to be taken to the hospital where he received emergency care. (P. Exh. 8).

On January 29 1982, Williams again attacked a guard by throwing a chemical substance on him. (P. Exh. 9).

On February 16 1984, a guard saw Williams bending over another inmate and striking him with his closed fists. In an effort to stop the attack, the guard blew his whistle and drew his weapon. Williams, however, continued to fight. Only after a guard fired a warning shot did Williams stop fighting. (P. Exh. 10).

On June 8 1984, Williams was observed participating in inappropriate behavior with a female visitor. When the guard advised the female of the prison policies, Williams became verbally hostile and stated, "you are looking around too much and that's not your job. I have dusted many officers on the street, one more would not make any difference." (P. Exh. 11).

On July 4 1986, Williams stepped between a guard and another inmate and began to beat up the inmate. The guard ordered Williams to stop, but Williams continued with the assault. Eventually, after gun officers responded, Williams stopped the attack. (P. Exh. 12).

On October 10 1988, Williams was involved in a fight that led to him being stabbed by Tiequon Aundray Cox (aka Lil Fee), a Rolling 60s Crips member, and fellow death row inmate. Prison officials subsequently learned that this stabbing was done in retaliation for a September 22 1988 stabbing of another inmate ordered by Williams. (P. Exh. 13).

On October 19 1988, Williams was placed in Administrative Segregation based on his association with the Crips street gang. (P. Exh. 13).

On December 24 1991, Williams was involved in another fight with an inmate. Once again, despite being ordered to stop, Williams continued with the assault. Eventually, gun officers responded by firing a round near Williams. After the shot was fired, guards gained control over Williams. (P. Exh. 14).

On July 6 1993, a large fight broke out in the shower area. Williams was one of the combatants. A guard ordered the inmates to stop, but the fight continued. After a warning shot was fired, the fighting stopped. Subsequently, a stabbing instrument ("shank") made of sharpened plastic was recovered from where the fight had occurred. (P. Exh. 15).

The prison guards noted that he still remained a member of the Crips gang, "The violations are usually involving batteries on inmates, batteries on staff. But we have also received information that has identified him as an active member of the Crips," Crittendon said. "The particular set is known as the Blue Note Crips, and that information we have received since his arrival here in April 1981 and as recent as June of 2000," Crittendon said. [http://archives.cnn.com/2000/US/12/02/death.row.nobel/]

Anti-gang activism

After being released from solitary confinement, Williams gained world-wide attention and praise for his work in prison. He wrote several children's books advocating non-violence and alternatives to gangs, an autobiography "Blue Rage, Black Redemption", public service announcements, and "", a Hollywood movie which honored him.

In 1997, Williams wrote and posted on his website [http://www.tookie.com/apology.html an apology] for his role in creating the Crips. In 2004, he helped broker a peace agreement, called the Tookie Protocol For Peace, for what had been one of the deadliest and most infamous gang wars in the country, between the Bloods and the Crips, in both the state of California and the city of Newark, New Jersey. On the nomination of William A. Harrison, a minister from West Monroe, Louisiana, Williams received a letter from U.S. President George W. Bush commending him for his social activism, one of some 267,000 "Call To Service Awards" that were sent out.

Challenges to the conviction

Appeals

Williams appealed his conviction in the state courts, and filed a petition in the federal courts for habeas corpus relief. The State courts affirmed the conviction. The lower federal court denied the habeas petition. In 2001, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals heard Williams' appeal from the lower federal court. The appellate court denied Williams' appeal in 2002, but noted that the federal courts were not his only forum for relief and that he could request clemency from the Governor of California.

Activist response and community reaction

In late 2005, a campaign began to urge Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to grant clemency for Williams in consideration of his work as an anti-gang activist and asserted "redemption." Thousands of people signed online petitions calling for Schwarzenegger to commute the death sentence. Those who campaigned against the execution included celebrities, politicians, and Nobel laureates. In early November, 2005, Williams' attorneys filed his formal petition for executive clemency, as well as a motion to obtain new evidence. (See below for the full text of the documents filed in these proceedings.)

The state, through the office of the Los Angeles County District Attorney, opposed the clemency petition. The Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County District Attorney, and other law enforcement groups disputed that Williams had in fact reformed, saying that he refused to divulge information on other gang members, or debrief officials on the tactics and communication methods that gangs use. Williams said he didn't want to be a "snitch." [http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/11/26/williams.execution.ap/index.html?section=cnn_topstories]

The clemency petition emphasized the theme of Williams' redemption, rather than his claim of actual innocence. At least one commentator felt this strategy was flawed: San Francisco Chronicle writer Bob Egelko noted doubts stated by the courts handling the appeals and quoted Austin Sarat, professor of law and politics at Amherst College in Massachusetts and author of "Mercy on Trial," a book about clemency: "It's [actual innocence] about the only ground in which governors grant clemency in the modern period...I know of no case in which a death row inmate has been spared (solely) on the basis of post-conviction rehabilitation." [http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/12/07/MNG60G468I1.DTL]

On December 8, 2005, Governor Schwarzenegger held a clemency hearing. The one-hour, closed-door meeting took place as a crowd consisting of both supporters of Williams and proponents of capital punishment congregated outside the Capitol in Sacramento. Schwarzenegger described the decision whether to grant clemency as "the toughest thing when you are governor, dealing with someone's life."

While the clemency petition was pending before the governor, Williams also filed further appeals in the courts. On November 30, 2005, the California Supreme Court, in a 4-3 decision, refused to reopen Williams' case. [http://news.findlaw.com/ap/o/632/12-01-2005/2b820005b6b126ef.html] . On December 11, 2005, the California Supreme Court denied Williams' request for a stay of execution. Supporters of Williams also made another plea directly to Governor Schwarzenegger to stay the execution. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051212/ap_on_re_us/williams_execution]

Also during this period, the media, community organizations, and relatives of the victims were speaking out. In mid-November 2005, talk show hosts John and Ken of the "John and Ken Show" on Clear Channel's KFI radio in Los Angeles, California started a "Tookie Must Die (For Killing Four Innocent People)" hour on their show daily until the execution of Williams. In the hour, they interviewed advocates of both sides of the issue and expressed their support of the impending execution.

Many anti-death penalty and civil rights organizations around the country organized activist campaigns to stop the execution, including the Campaign to End the Death Penalty, the NAACP, A.N.S.W.E.R., and others. Tookie's friend, co-author and political collaborator, Barbara Becnel, helped to spearhead much of the organizing. Celebrities also joined the fight, including Snoop Dogg, who appeared at a clemency rally wearing a shirt advertising the [http://www.savetookie.org Save Tookie website] and performed a song he had written for Williams, and Jamie Foxx, who - noting that Tookie's execution date was his birthday - publicly stated that the only birthday present he wanted was clemency for Williams. Other prisoners were also involved in activism to save Williams's life. Tony Ford, whose death sentence in a disputed case has been indefinitely stayed [http://texasmoratorium.org/article.php?sid=1047] , helped organize a prisoners' strike in Texas protesting Williams's execution.

On November 29, 2005, the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California announced that more than 175,000 Californians had signed a petition requesting the temporary suspension of executions in California until the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice could complete its study, [http://www.aclunc.org/pressrel/051129-dp.html] due by December 31, 2007. The "California Moratorium on Executions Act", A.B.1121, is scheduled to have its first hearing in January 2006. Press conferences and rallies in more than a dozen California cities called for a halt to all executions and asked Governor Schwarzenegger to commute Williams’ death sentence to a sentence of life without parole; demonstrations against the death penalty also took place in numerous cities around the world.

On December 8, 2005, Lora Owens, the stepmother of Albert Owens, one of the victims, made a statement expressing her opinion of Stanley Williams: "I think he [Williams] is the same cold-blooded killer that he was then and he would be now if he had the opportunity again." [http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=1385338] Owens' two daughters, Rebecca and Andrea, who were 8 and 5 when their father was murdered, also opposed clemency and recalled that they were aghast when they had learned that their father's murderer was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. [http://www.modbee.com/local/story/11566867p-12300721c.html]

By contrast, on December 9, 2005, Linda Owens, Albert Owens' widow, issued a statement in support of Williams’ efforts to bring an end to gang violence and his call for peace between gangs: "I, Linda Owens want to build upon Mr. Williams' peace initiative. I invite Mr. Williams to join me in sending a message to all communities that we should all unite in peace. This position of peace would honor my husband's memory and Mr. Williams work." [http://www.naacp.org/news/2005/2005-12-09.html]

The Governor denies clemency

On December 12, 2005, Governor Schwarzenegger denied clemency for Williams. In his denial, Governor Schwarzenegger cited the following:
*"The possible irregularities in Williams’ trial have been thoroughly and carefully reviewed by the courts, and there is no reason to disturb the judicial decisions that uphold the jury’s decisions that he is guilty of these four murders and should pay with his life."

*The basis of his request for clemency is the "personal redemption Stanley Williams has experienced and the positive impact of the message he sends," yet "it is impossible to separate Williams' claim of innocence from his claim of redemption."

*"Cumulatively, the evidence demonstrating Williams is guilty of these murders is to question the efficacy of Williams' message."

*"The dedication of Williams' book "Life in Prison" casts significant doubt on his personal redemption and… the mix of individuals on [the dedication] list is curious" … "the inclusion of George Jackson on the list defies reason and is a significant indicator that Williams is not reformed."

*"Is Williams’ redemption complete and sincere, or is it just a hollow promise? Stanley Williams insists he is innocent, and that he will not and should not apologize or otherwise atone for the murders of the four victims in this case. Without an apology and atonement for these senseless and brutal killings there can be no redemption. In this case, the one thing that would be the clearest indication of complete remorse and full redemption is the one thing Williams will not do."

Governor Schwarzenegger summarized by basing his denial of clemency on the "totality of circumstances." ( [http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/national/Williams_Clemency_Decision.pdf] )

Last legal efforts to save Williams

On the same day the governor denied Williams clemency, Jonathan Harris, a New York counsel with Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP, filed a response summarizing new evidence of innocence. [http://naacp.org/inc/docs/index/stanley_williams_emergency_stay.pdf]

It included reference to an affidavit by Gordon Bradbury von Ellerman attesting to belief in Williams' innocence. Dated December 10, it states that he called the NAACP on December 8 after reading in the "Daily Breeze" that his cellmate, George Oglesby, had testified against Williams. He states that he had observed Oglesby receive police reports on Williams and others. Mr. Oglesby told Von Ellerman that he was using the documents to testify against Williams and others "to gain a reduction or eliminate charges against him." Von Ellerman also observed Oglesby copying from samples of Williams' handwriting to "create incriminating documents that would appear to be written by Mr. Williams." [http://www.savetookie.org/documents/Affidavit.pdf] Prosecutors had cited handwritten notes written by Mr. Williams about an escape plan which involved the killing of a bus driver and another accomplice. [http://kfi640.com/script/headline_newsmanager.php?id=451987&pagecontent=nationalnews&feed_id=59]

Execution

On December 13, 2005, after exhausting all forms of appeal, Williams was executed by lethal injection at San Quentin State Prison, California. Newsweek reported thousands of protesters outside, most of whom were seeking Williams' clemency. He was the 12th person to be executed by the state since California reinstated the death penalty in 1992. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10450624/site/newsweek/from/RL.3/]

Williams provided no last words to the prison warden. In an interview on WBAI Pacifica radio hours before the execution, [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/12/13/1525206] he stated:

"My lack of fear of this barbaric methodology of death, I rely upon my faith. It has nothing to do with machismo, with manhood, or with some pseudo former gang street code. This is pure faith, and predicated on my redemption. So, therefore, I just stand strong and continue to tell you, your audience, and the world that I am innocent and, yes, I have been a wretched person, but I have redeemed myself. And I say to you and all those who can listen and will listen that redemption is tailor-made for the wretched, and that's what I used to be…That's what I would like the world to remember me. That's how I would like my legacy to be remembered as: a redemptive transition, something that I believe is not exclusive just for the so-called sanctimonious, the elitists. And it doesn't—-is not predicated on color or race or social stratum or one's religious background. It's accessible for everybody. That's the beauty about it. And whether others choose to believe that I have redeemed myself or not, I worry not, because I know and God knows, and you can believe that all of the youths that I continue to help, they know, too. So with that, I am grateful…I say to you and everyone else, God bless. So take care."

Witnesses described the mood in the execution chamber as somber, and Williams showed no resistance as he was led into the execution chamber. After Williams was strapped to the gurney, he struggled against the straps holding him down to look up at the press gallery behind him, and to exchange glances with his supporters.

Williams's advocate and editor Barbara Becnel was also a witness to Williams's execution. In the epilogue of Williams's reprinted memoir, "Blue Rage, Black Redemption", [(Simon & Schuster, November 2007)] Becnel reported that prior to Williams's arrival in the death chamber, he had promised her that "he would find a way to lift his head and smile at me at some point during his execution, no matter what was being done to him. And that is exactly what he did."

Williams then rested his head on the gurney while medical technicians began inserting needles in his veins, although CNN reported the staff had difficulty inserting the needles and the usually-short process took almost 20 minutes. [http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/12/13/williams.execution/]

"Contra Costa Times" reporter John Simerman added, "They had some trouble with the second I.V., which was in the left arm… Williams, at one point, grimaced or looked almost out of frustration…at the difficulty there…He had his glasses on the whole time. He kept them on, and he kept looking…"

With a look of frustration on his face, Williams angrily asked the technicians, "You guys doing that right?" A female guard whispered to him, and a second guard patted Williams' shoulder as if to comfort him. Williams shed one silent tear [ [http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/12/14/MNG05G7QMA1.DTL THE EXECUTION OF STANLEY TOOKIE WILLIAMS / Eyewitness: Prisoner did not die meekly, quietly ] ] but otherwise showed no emotion as he died. Members of Albert Owens' family who witnessed the execution were described as stony-faced; moreover, Lora Owens appeared very upset, according to MSNBC anchor Rita Cosby.

Kevin Fagan, a reporter for the "San Francisco Chronicle", wrote a detailed description of the execution: [http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/12/14/MNG05G7QMA1.DTL]

"This is the sixth one I have seen here at San Quentin, and I have to say this was very different. The most notable thing was that Williams had supporters at the back of the room… Ms. Becnel was among them, I understand. We could see them, and throughout the last part of the execution—or preparing him when he was still conscious, they gave what looked like black power salutes several times to him, one man and two women. And most strikingly at the end of the execution, as those three were heading out, they yelled, 'The State of California just killed an innocent man!' which is the first time I ever heard any outburst in the death chamber there."

After Williams was pronounced dead at 12:35 a.m. PST (08:35 UTC), several reporters who witnessed the execution held a news conference. [Their description can be found [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/12/13/1524254 here] ]

Aftermath

Williams’ spokeswoman and co-author, Barbara Becnel, said shortly after Williams's death that she is "now on a mission" [http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/nation/13400902.htm] to obtain justice for Stanley Tookie Williams. Williams directed Becnel to receive his body and Becnel began making the funeral arrangements. [http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-funeral14dec14,1,3936788.story]

Becnel reacted to Williams' execution by saying "We are going to prove his innocence, and when we do, we are going to show that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is, in fact, himself a cold blooded murderer." [An archived copy of a Maura Dolan's Los Angeles Times November 29 article on the history of Becnel's efforts on behalf of Williams can be found here. [http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/printer_112905S.shtml] ]

Williams' body was laid out for viewing on December 19, 2005 and drew approximately 2000 mourners. [http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-williams20dec20,0,1147477.story?coll=la-home-headlines] A memorial service was held in Los Angeles on December 20, 2005, where Becnel read his final wishes. Williams' funeral filled the 1,500 seat Bethel AME church and drew a wide variety of people from current gang members to celebrities and religious leaders. [http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-122005tookie_wr,0,1096857.story?coll=la-home-headlines] On June 25, 2006, Barbara Becnel and Williams' longtime friend, Shirley Neal, sprinkled his ashes into a lake in Thokoza Park in the city of Soweto, South Africa as Williams had wished.

At his funeral, the last words of Williams echoed from a tape played to mourners, whom he asked to spread a message to loved ones:

:"The war within me is over. I battled my demons and I was triumphant."

:"Teach them how to avoid our destructive footsteps. Teach them to strive for higher education. Teach them to promote peace and teach them to focus on rebuilding the neighborhoods that you, others, and I helped to destroy."

Rapper Snoop Dogg, himself a former Crip, recited a poem to mourners about the execution:

:"It's 9:15 on 12/13 and another black king will be taken from the scene." [http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/12/20/tookie.funeral.ap.ap/index.html] Crips Gang member and rapper, WC, made a reference to the execution of Williams on his album Guilty by Affiliation. The line referring to the execution reads as follows-"Charles Manson can kill to see another day, but if you're black like Tookie they're gonna steal you away."

His death also catalyzed statewide soul-searching around the death penalty itself, as documented in San Francisco Magazine's piece, Killing the Death Penalty [http://www.sanfranmag.com/archives/view_story/1212/] by Jaimal Yogis.

Williams' children

Travon Williams, the older son by Bonnie Williams-Taylor, whom Williams wed in 1981 before his conviction, was 32 years old at the time of his father's execution. Williams-Taylor talked to her ex-husband by phone that day. "He was great. He said he was at peace with himself and proud of his son," who avoided the gang life, according to Leslie Fulbright, a staff writer for the "San Francisco Chronicle". [ [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/12/14/ASHES.TMP Williams' ashes to be taken to South Africa] , SFGate, Tuesday, December 13, 2005] Travon is married, a father, owns a home and works for a social services agency in the Los Angeles area, said Barbara Becnel, Stanley Williams' co-author. [according to Associated Press writer Kim Curtis in November 2005. [http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/local/crime_courts/13189808.htm] ]

Travon was the only family member who spoke at the funeral. Williams' son "brought the church to its feet" [According to the December 21, 2005 article, "Funeral Service Celebrates Williams' Conversion From Violence to Peace; About 2,000 mourners hear celebrities and friends call the Crips' co-founder's execution a waste and praise his advocacy for children" written by "LA Times" staff writer Lisa Richardson [http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-williams21dec21,1,6729587.story] ] when he promised to teach Schwarzenegger about redemption. He said, "I feel it's my duty to go on a worldwide campaign to show that redemption is real," he said.

Stanley Williams' other son, Stanley "Little Tookie" Williams, IV, a Neighborhood Crip, was found guilty of shooting a 20-year-old woman to death in an alley off Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Williams Jr. was sentenced to sixteen years in prison for second-degree murder. [Ben Johnson. [http://frontpagemag.com/articles/Read.aspx?GUID=178B4B97-3FAD-4B6F-9435-648A03754485 Let Tookie Williams Die] , FrontPageMagazine.com, 2005-12-01]

In November 2005, the Fontana, California Police Department advised print and television media that a warrant had been issued for a registered sex offender, Lafayette Jones. The police department identified Jones as the son of Stanley Tookie Williams. [ [http://www.nbc4.tv/news/5331402/detail.html 'Tookie' Williams' Son Allegedly Rapes Girl At Gunpoint] , KNBC, 2005-11-15] [ [http://www.abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local&id=3635018 Police Search For A Rape Suspect] , KABC-TV, 2005-11-15] The defense of Stanley Tookie Williams stated that this was a lie purported by the police department, and in their Reply Petition for Executive Clemency, they attached a declaration from Lafayette Jones' mother which declared, under penalty of perjury, that Jones was not Stanley Tookie Williams' son.

References

Books by Williams

*Blue Rage, Black Redemption: A Memoir (Quality Trade) by Stanley Tookie Williams, foreword by Tavis Smiley, epilogue by Barbara Becnel, 2007, (QT) ISBN 1-4165-4449-4
*Blue Rage, Black Redemption: A Memoir (Paperback) by Stanley Tookie Williams, 2005, (PB) ISBN 0-9753584-0-5
* Gangs and Drugs (Williams, Stanley. Tookie Speaks Out Against Gang Violence,) by Stanley Williams, Barbara Cottman Becnel, 1997, (PB) ISBN 1-56838-135-2, 24 pages, Reading level: Ages 9-12
* Gangs and Self-Esteem: Tookie Speaks Out Against Gang Violence (Tookie Speaks Out Against Gang Violence) by Stanley Williams, Barbara Cottman Becnel, 1999, (PB) ISBN 0-613-02690-X, 24 pages, Reading level: Ages 4-8
* Gangs and the Abuse of Power (Williams, Stanley. Tookie Speaks Out Against Gang Violence.) by Stanley Williams, Barbara Cottman Becnel, 1997, ISBN 1-56838-130-1, 24 pages, Reading level: Ages 9-12
* Gangs and Violence (Williams, Stanley. Tookie Speaks Out Against Gangs.) by Stanley Williams, Barbara Cottman Becnel, 1997, (PB) ISBN 1-56838-134-4 (HB} ISBN 0-8239-2345-2, 24 pages, Reading level: Ages 4-8
* Gangs and Wanting to Belong (Williams, Stanley. Tookie Speaks Out Against Gang Violence.) by Stanley Williams, Barbara Cottman Becnel, 1997, (PB) ISBN 1-56838-131-X, 24 pages, Reading level: Ages 9-12
* Gangs and Weapons (Tookie Speaks Out Against Gang Violence) by Stanley Tookie Williams, Barbara Cottman Becnel, 1997, (PB) ISBN 1-56838-132-8, 24 pages, Reading level: Ages 9-12
* Gangs and Your Friends (Williams, Stanley. Tookie Speaks Out Against Gangs.) by Stanley Williams, Barbara Cottman Becnel, 1997, (PB) ISBN 1-56838-136-0, 24 pages, Reading level: Ages 4-8
* Gangs and Your Neighborhood (Williams, Stanley. Tookie Speaks Out Against Gang Violence.) by Stanley Williams, Barbara Cottman Becnel, 1997, (PB) ISBN 1-56838-137-9, 24 pages, Reading level: Ages 4-8
* Life in Prison by Stanley Tookie Williams, Barbara Cottman Becnel, 1998, (PB) ISBN 1-58717-094-9, 80 pages, Reading level: Ages 4-8 (royalties donated to the Institute for the Prevention of Youth Violence)
* Redemption : From Original Gangster to Nobel Prize Nominee - The Extraordinary Life Story of Stanley Tookie Williams (Paperback) by Stanley Williams, 2004, (HB) ISBN 1-903854-34-2

Magazines

* " [http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=state&id=3719337 "Stanley 'Tookie' Williams Executed"] ", ABC KGO-TV / Associated Press. December 13 2005. Retrieved December 13 2005.
* Leithead, Alistair. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4486178.stm "Reformed gang leader awaits death"] , BBC News. December 1 2005. Retrieved December 1 2005.
* Alex Alonso. " [http://www.streetgangs.com/magazine/102605tookie.php "Stanley Tookie Williams, Could be First Gang Member Executed in California"] ", Street Gangs Magazine. October 26 2005. Retrieved December 8 2005.
* [http://eurweb.com/story.cfm?id=23638 THE HUTCHINSON REPORT: Why 'Tookie' Williams?]
* [http://news.neoblack.com/news_item.asp?newsid=1108&category=Crime NAACP Steps Up Efforts to Save Stanley Tookie Williams]
* [http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/11/30/williams.execution/index.html State's high court won't spare Williams]
* [http://www.socialistworker.org/2005-2/568/568_06_Clemency.shtml The Peoples' Clemency Hearing] Socialist Worker
* [http://www.laweekly.com/ink/06/04/news-krikorian.php Tookie's Mistaken Identity: On the Trail of the Real Founder of the Crips]
* [http://www.thenation.com/doc/20051226/shapiro "Hypocrisy Trumps Clemency"] . The Nation, (December 14, 2005).
*Alex Alonso. " [http://www.streetgangs.com/magazine/120605cantu.html "SChange the Conversation about Tookie to the merits of the Case"] ", Street Gangs Magazine. December 6 2005.
*Yogis, Jaimal Killing the Death Penalty [http://www.sanfranmag.com/archives/view_story/1212/] . San Francisco Magazine 2006

Notes

External links

wikinewshas|multiple articles related to this article
*
*
* [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/11/30/153247 Transcript and audio of interview with Williams] (Democracy Now!)
* [http://www.streetgangs.com/magazine/tookie1127_88.html People v. Williams (1988) 44 C3d 1127, Habeas Corpus filed on behalf of Williams ]
* [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/12/13/1525206 Transcript and audio of interview with Tookie a few hours before his execution with] Democracy Now!
* [http://crime.about.com/od/deathrow/a/tookie2.htm The Crimes of Tookie Williams] (About.com)
* [http://www.finalcall.com/webcast/tookie/ Webcast of Williams' memorial service]
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=12672715 Stan "Tookie" Williams Memorial] at [http://www.findagrave.com/ Find A Grave]
* [http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/News/docs/StanleyWilliams.pdf Stanley Williams] . "California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation". Retrieved on 2007-11-12.
* [http://www.lastingtribute.co.uk/famousperson/williams/2651430 Obituary]

=Legal documents (*.pdf)=

* [http://www.savetookie.org/brady_discovery_motion.pdf Motion for Post Judgment Discovery] (savetookie.org)
* [http://cm-p.com/pdf/executiveclemency.pdf Executive Clemency petition] filed by Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP, from the law firm's website
* [http://da.co.la.ca.us/pdf/swilliams.pdf Los Angeles County District Attorney's Response to Clemency petition] from the District Attorney's website
* [http://www.cm-p.com/pdf/executiveclemency_reply.pdf Executive Clemency Reply petition] filed by Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP, from the law firm's website
* [http://www.streetgangs.com/magazine/070605AmicusFinal.pdf Stanley Williams v. Jill Brown, filed in the Supreme Court of the United States of America] - www.streetgangs.com

News articles

* " [http://www.streetgangs.com/magazine/112105sanquentin.html Snoop Dogg, Barbara Becnel and Minister Tony Muhammad speak at Rally] ", "Alex Alonso", November 21, 2005.
* " [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051213/ap_on_re_us/williams_execution "Williams' Death Doesn't End Debate on Life"] ", "Yahoo! News", December 13, 2005. Retrieved December 21, 2005.
* " [http://www.streetgangs.com/magazine/102605tookie.php "Stanley Tookie Williams, Could be First Gang Member Executed in California"] ", "Alex Alonso", December 10, 2005. Retrieved December 21, 2005.
* " [http://www.laweekly.com/ink/06/04/news-krikorian.php "Tookie’s Mistaken Identity; On the trail of the real founder of the Crips"] , L.A. Weekly, December 16-22, 2005. Retrieved December 21, 2005.
* " [http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/13396886.htm "Watching Williams die"] , Contra Costa Times, December 13, 2005.

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