FORNEY, Texas — Eric Williams, a former Justice of the Peace, was convicted and sentenced to Texas’ Death Row in December of 2014 for the murders of Kaufman County DA Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia. Williams filed a 169-page request for a new death penalty trial after being found guilty of the murders as well as the killing of prosecutor Mark Hasse.
The murders of Mike and Cynthia McLelland occurred at their Forney home over Easter weekend in 2013. Prior to that, Williams had assassinated prosecutor Mark Hasse in broad daylight as he walked to the courthouse in downtown Kaufman. The killings were said to be meticulously planned as Williams harbored a grudge against the victims for prosecuting him for stealing county computer monitors. Williams’ wife, Kim, drove him to downtown Kaufman as he killed Hasse and later cooperated with investigators to share more evidence after he was arrested and charged for capital murder.
During the trial, it was revealed that Eric Williams had a hit list which included the current Kaufman County District Attorney, Erleigh Wiley. His wife, Kim Williams, testified against him in court and admitted to being a willing accomplice for all three murders. For her involvement, Kim Williams was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
In the new filing for a new death penalty trial, Williams claims his defense didn’t have enough time to prepare for the state’s case, the judge was biased, and that moving the trial to Rockwall County didn’t suffice the attempt to stifle publicity. Despite previous appeals, Williams’ execution date has not been set yet.
Eric Williams’ case continues to generate interest and concern. He remains on Death Row, with his defense fighting for a new trial, citing a number of factors they claim were not in their favor during the original trial. The saga of the Kaufman County murders and the subsequent legal battles continue to unfold, leaving a lasting impact on the community and the justice system.