Post by Anja Nieser on Sept 6, 2006 18:28:52 GMT -5
Court: Ex-Paper Carrier: Williford charged with 2 murders
The felon is accused of killing 2 women on his Tulsa route. Prosecutors
charged a former Tulsa World newspaper carrier Tuesday with murdering 2
women who were subscribers on his delivery route.
Paul Eugene Williford is charged with two counts of first-degree murder,
linked to the deaths of Geraldine Lawhorn and Donna Jo Stauffer.
He is accused of choking Lawhorn, 75, and drowning her in a bathtub in
September 2005 at her home in the 12500 block of East 20th Place.
He is accused of strangling Stauffer, 73, in October at her home in the
12600 block of East 18th Place.
5 months ago, a Tulsa judge sentenced Williford, 65, to serve the rest of
his life in prison on charges linked to an attack on another of his
customers, who survived.
In that case, Williford pleaded guilty in April to 4 felonies: 1st-degree
burglary, sexual battery, assault and battery with an intent to kill, and
1st-degree robbery.
District Judge Tom Gillert meted out four concurrent life terms, which
means Williford must serve one life prison sentence that will keep him
confined beyond his 100th birthday, if he lives that long. For parole
purposes, a life sentence equates to 45 years, and Williford must serve at
least 85 % -- or more than 38 years -- of that sentence before being
considered for parole.
Williford is housed at the Lawton Correctional Facility with a December
2043 parole hearing date, a Department of Corrections Web site shows.
District Attorney Tim Harris said Tuesday that a request for the death
penalty is under consideration in the two-count murder case but that no
decision has been reached.
"It is under review as we speak," said Harris, whose office has an
internal Death Penalty Review Team.
Regarding the murder charges, "I hope justice is done," said Stauffer's
son Daren Stauffer.
He declined to comment further until he had a chance to confer with other
family members.
In the case for which Williford is in prison, he admitted choking a
75-year-old woman at her Tulsa home on Oct. 21 but said that "she would
not die," a police detective said.
Williford, of Tulsa, said he "had a difficult time killing her" and
indicated that he intended to finish her off by drowning her but couldn't
get her into a bathtub, Sgt. Gary Stansill testified at a preliminary
hearing.
That woman survived and subsequently identified Williford in court as her
assailant.
Based on information obtained after Williford's Oct. 21 arrest, police
investigated the deaths of Lawhorn and Stauffer as homicides. Their deaths
had initially shown no signs of foul play.
Police affidavits filed in support of the murder charges stated that
Williford said he intentionally did not deliver newspapers to his victims
because he knew they would call to complain about not getting the paper
and "this would give him the opportunity" to contact and attack them.
In Lawhorn's case, Williford said he "was having a very difficult time
strangling the victim" because she "would not die," a police affidavit
states.
He said he put a pillow over her face with the intent of suffocating her
and that he dragged her into the bathroom. He said he ran water in the tub
and submerged her upper body in the water but that she continued to
struggle, the affidavit states.
Williford said that once he thought she was dead, he took money from her
purse and left, police reported.
Lawhorn was found dead Sept. 28 in her bathroom. After statements by
Williford, her body was exhumed, and an autopsy showed that she died from
asphyxia as a result of strangulation and drowning.
Williford said he strangled Stauffer and rendered her unconscious. He said
that as he was walking through the house, he saw someone he thought was
her husband asleep in a bed, and he "backed out of the bedroom
immediately" and resumed strangling the victim, a police affidavit says.
Stauffer's husband, Marion "Bob" Stauffer, found her unconscious in their
home Oct. 8. She was taken by an ambulance to a hospital, where she died
Oct. 11, and her body was cremated.
Marion Stauffer died Jan. 1 at age 74. He had repeatedly told the Tulsa
World that he looked forward to seeing the man accused of killing his wife
stand trial.
Williford's contract as an independent carrier for the World was
terminated after his arrest.
In Tulsa County, Williford has a 1986 conviction for feloniously pointing
a weapon and 1987 convictions for assault and battery with intent to kill
and robbery.
Regarding the timing of the murder charges, Assistant District Attorney
Bill Musseman said Tuesday that "it was important that all the steps be
taken to complete an investigation."
Prosecutors will submit paperwork to get Williford brought from prison to
the Tulsa Jail to await court proceedings on the murder counts.
(source: Tulsa World)
The felon is accused of killing 2 women on his Tulsa route. Prosecutors
charged a former Tulsa World newspaper carrier Tuesday with murdering 2
women who were subscribers on his delivery route.
Paul Eugene Williford is charged with two counts of first-degree murder,
linked to the deaths of Geraldine Lawhorn and Donna Jo Stauffer.
He is accused of choking Lawhorn, 75, and drowning her in a bathtub in
September 2005 at her home in the 12500 block of East 20th Place.
He is accused of strangling Stauffer, 73, in October at her home in the
12600 block of East 18th Place.
5 months ago, a Tulsa judge sentenced Williford, 65, to serve the rest of
his life in prison on charges linked to an attack on another of his
customers, who survived.
In that case, Williford pleaded guilty in April to 4 felonies: 1st-degree
burglary, sexual battery, assault and battery with an intent to kill, and
1st-degree robbery.
District Judge Tom Gillert meted out four concurrent life terms, which
means Williford must serve one life prison sentence that will keep him
confined beyond his 100th birthday, if he lives that long. For parole
purposes, a life sentence equates to 45 years, and Williford must serve at
least 85 % -- or more than 38 years -- of that sentence before being
considered for parole.
Williford is housed at the Lawton Correctional Facility with a December
2043 parole hearing date, a Department of Corrections Web site shows.
District Attorney Tim Harris said Tuesday that a request for the death
penalty is under consideration in the two-count murder case but that no
decision has been reached.
"It is under review as we speak," said Harris, whose office has an
internal Death Penalty Review Team.
Regarding the murder charges, "I hope justice is done," said Stauffer's
son Daren Stauffer.
He declined to comment further until he had a chance to confer with other
family members.
In the case for which Williford is in prison, he admitted choking a
75-year-old woman at her Tulsa home on Oct. 21 but said that "she would
not die," a police detective said.
Williford, of Tulsa, said he "had a difficult time killing her" and
indicated that he intended to finish her off by drowning her but couldn't
get her into a bathtub, Sgt. Gary Stansill testified at a preliminary
hearing.
That woman survived and subsequently identified Williford in court as her
assailant.
Based on information obtained after Williford's Oct. 21 arrest, police
investigated the deaths of Lawhorn and Stauffer as homicides. Their deaths
had initially shown no signs of foul play.
Police affidavits filed in support of the murder charges stated that
Williford said he intentionally did not deliver newspapers to his victims
because he knew they would call to complain about not getting the paper
and "this would give him the opportunity" to contact and attack them.
In Lawhorn's case, Williford said he "was having a very difficult time
strangling the victim" because she "would not die," a police affidavit
states.
He said he put a pillow over her face with the intent of suffocating her
and that he dragged her into the bathroom. He said he ran water in the tub
and submerged her upper body in the water but that she continued to
struggle, the affidavit states.
Williford said that once he thought she was dead, he took money from her
purse and left, police reported.
Lawhorn was found dead Sept. 28 in her bathroom. After statements by
Williford, her body was exhumed, and an autopsy showed that she died from
asphyxia as a result of strangulation and drowning.
Williford said he strangled Stauffer and rendered her unconscious. He said
that as he was walking through the house, he saw someone he thought was
her husband asleep in a bed, and he "backed out of the bedroom
immediately" and resumed strangling the victim, a police affidavit says.
Stauffer's husband, Marion "Bob" Stauffer, found her unconscious in their
home Oct. 8. She was taken by an ambulance to a hospital, where she died
Oct. 11, and her body was cremated.
Marion Stauffer died Jan. 1 at age 74. He had repeatedly told the Tulsa
World that he looked forward to seeing the man accused of killing his wife
stand trial.
Williford's contract as an independent carrier for the World was
terminated after his arrest.
In Tulsa County, Williford has a 1986 conviction for feloniously pointing
a weapon and 1987 convictions for assault and battery with intent to kill
and robbery.
Regarding the timing of the murder charges, Assistant District Attorney
Bill Musseman said Tuesday that "it was important that all the steps be
taken to complete an investigation."
Prosecutors will submit paperwork to get Williford brought from prison to
the Tulsa Jail to await court proceedings on the murder counts.
(source: Tulsa World)