Husband Accused Of Conspiracy In Death Of Wife
WWWoLadyA
2 March 1999
Associated Press
PADUCAH, Ky. - Greed, lust and a desire for control drove Neil Williams in his
plot to have his wife killed, a prosecutor said in his opening statement in
Williams' trial Monday.
Williams, 37, a former standout on the Murray State University football team,
is charged with conspiracy to commit murder. No one is actually charged with
killing Bobbi Holman Williams. The 35-year-old woman was bludgeoned with an
antique pancake syrup bottle and strangled. Her body was discovered in a
half-filled bathtub July 16, 1996, at the couple's Marshall County home.
Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Jim Harris said Neil Williams was unhappy in
his marriage and wanted a divorce but Bobbi Williams wanted to save the
marriage.
But defense attorney Roger Perry said he will prove that the commonwealth's
case is built on lies, inconsistencies and a well-organized plot by two
convicted felons to frame Neil Williams.
He is accused of paying Paducah hair hairdresser Valva Massey Buford $50,000 to
arrange the slaying. Buford has already pleaded guilty for her role in the
alleged conspiracy.
Before the trial began, Judge Jeff Hines made a minor concession to his earlier
order that prohibited testimony about the actual murder. He will allow a
statement to be read to the jury that there is no evidence that the alleged
payment of $50,000 led to the actual slaying.
Hines denied a motion by Williams' attorneys that evidence be prohibited about
Bobbi Williams' state of mind during the months before her death.
Attorneys agreed that testimony would be allowed indicating that Bobbi Williams
had $960,000 worth of life insurance at the time of her death, and that Neil
Williams was the beneficiary.
Harris said his case will show that Neil Williams had a four-year affair with
Kathy Beach, who once worked for a construction company owned by the Williams
family.
Beach didn't have to work after leaving the construction company because
Williams provided her with a place to live, a car and other living expenses,
Harris said.
He also said Beach was arrested several times, including at least once on drug
charges. Each time, Harris said, Williams raised the money to bail Beach out of
jail.
After receiving the $50,000 from Neil Williams, Buford gave the money to
Randall Yost, whom she met at a tattoo parlor that was operated as part of her
beauty shop, Harris said.
Harris said Yost will testify he told Buford that he would have Bobbi Williams
killed at the restaurant she operated and make it look as though it occurred
during a robbery. However, Harris said Yost will testify he had no intention of
killing Bobbi Williams but was involved in a scam to take the money.
But Perry, Neil Williams' attorney, said that his client was a victim. He said
Buford and Yost made up a story about Williams after their plot to extort money
from him failed.
Perry said that eight months after the murder, Buford was lured to a meeting by
Buford.
At that meeting, Williams was confronted by Yost, who was posing as a corrupt
Chicago police officer, Perry said.
Yost said he had found at a drug raid items related to the murder of Bobbi
Williams and would turn them over to Kentucky authorities if Neil Williams
didn't pay him $300,000, Perry said.
A 13-member jury was selected on Monday, which includes one alternate. The
trial is expected to last from one to three weeks.