Post by Anja Nieser on Sept 25, 2006 0:52:59 GMT -5
WILLIAMS DENIES INVOLVEMENT
During a recorded interview the night police detained Clifton Lamar
Williams he repeatedly denied any involvement in the murder of a
93-year-old woman.
Williams, 22, is on trial for the capital murder of Cecelia Schneider, who
he is accused of beating, strangling and stabbing to death before setting
her body on fire and stealing her purse and car. He faces life in prison
or the death penalty if convicted.
On Thursday, Tyler police Detective Clay Perrett testified that he
responded to Ms. Schneider's home July 9, 2005, when Ms. Schneider's body
was discovered by firefighters, and that he investigated the murder case.
He said he and other officers searched Williams' apartment on Fannin
Street on July 15, 2005 after he received information that made Williams a
suspect in the case. Later that night after a search warrant was issued,
Williams wasbrought to the police department by his father.
Perrett said Williams' fingerprint matched one found in Ms. Schneider's
car, which had been wrecked on Greenbriar Road.
The Smith County jury viewed a 30-minute video of the July 15, 2005,
interview when Williams waived his Miranda rights to remain silent and
have a lawyer present. Williams said he understood that if he didn't want
to answer a question, he could terminate the interview.
Williams said he took medicine for attention deficit disorder but hadn't
taken any that day.
He said he had heard about Ms. Schneider's death and that she was
"brutally beaten," through media reports but repeatedly said he had never
been to the victim's home or to Callahan Street. He also said he did not
have a girlfriend and lived alone at his apartment.
Ms. Schneider's neighbor has testified seeing Williams visit houses on
Callahan Street regularly. And prosecutors have said Williams' girlfriend
lived with him at his apartment.
The defendant told police he couldn't remember where he was the night of
the murder but that he was either at home alone or at his uncle's house.
Perrett told Williams he could prove he was driving Ms. Schneider's Toyota
Camry because he found a mixture of his and her blood in the car. Williams
said that on the morning after the murder, he was at his sister's house
and was walking down the road near Lindsey Park when he saw a man wreck,
get out of his car and run away from him. Williams said he drove the car
out of the roadway and left it there.
When asked by officers, Williams said he never told anyone a story about a
man pulling a gun on him the night of the murder and that he had to stab
the man. Police have said about four people, including Williams'
girlfriend, were told the story by Williams' and one man's call to police
with the story led police to suspect Williams of Ms. Schneider's murder.
Williams repeatedly told the officers he didn't know what they were
talking about when the asked him about Ms. Schneider's death.
"I ain't did nothing," he said.
Dr. Edward Gripon, a psychiatrist, testified that he reviewed the
interview. He said Williams not taking his medication, Abilify for ADD,
the day of the police interview would not affect his ability to understand
his Miranda warnings. He said he did not see anything to indicate that
Williams was unable to understand his rights.
Gripon said if the person had an underlying illness, it would take 1 to 2
weeks of not taking the medication for him to get sick again. He said a
person wouldn't be able to tell whether someone is taking medication
unless they act unusual. He said Abilify is approved to treat
schizophrenia but is effective to treat about half a dozen other
illnesses.
He said the appearance of Williams not paying attention at times during
the interview, when he played with his braided hair or had his thumb in
his mouth, did not change his opinion.
Tyler police Sgt. Jeff Callaway testified again Thursday about evidence he
collected and pictures he took at the victim's home, 311 E. Callahan St.,
and her car found wrecked in the county. He also collected a knife, with a
4-inch blade, allegedly used in the murder that was discovered in a pond
near Ms. Schneider's purse and other personal belongings.
Callaway said he believed Ms. Schneider's death was a homicide because
there were two separate fires in her home, set to the bed and the victim
lying on the floor, her face appeared to be discolored, blood ran from her
mouth and there was a stab wound to her chest.
He said there was an item found on her that could have been part of her
gown or a thin rope, as well as plastic tubing.
The trial was nearly delayed again Thursday after a juror injured his
back. Because the man was the second alternate juror and not one of the 12
jurors, 114th District Judge Cynthia Stevens Kent discharged him from
service and continued with the trial.
Smith County District Attorney Matt Bingham agreed that the juror should
be discharged, but defense attorney Melvin Thompson objected to it and
said the case should be delayed until Monday, when the man would be able
to return to jury duty. He said there was no way of knowing whether
something would happen to a different juror.
Judge Kent said she would have delayed the trial if she thought it would
harm the defendant.
The trial was postponed Monday because of a leaky roof in the Smith County
Courthouse and was tried Tuesday and Wednesday in a federal courtroom
until the roof could be repaired.
Assistant DA April Sikes and defense attorney LaJuanda Lacy are also
trying the case, set to resume Friday morning.
(source: Tyler Morning Telegraph )
During a recorded interview the night police detained Clifton Lamar
Williams he repeatedly denied any involvement in the murder of a
93-year-old woman.
Williams, 22, is on trial for the capital murder of Cecelia Schneider, who
he is accused of beating, strangling and stabbing to death before setting
her body on fire and stealing her purse and car. He faces life in prison
or the death penalty if convicted.
On Thursday, Tyler police Detective Clay Perrett testified that he
responded to Ms. Schneider's home July 9, 2005, when Ms. Schneider's body
was discovered by firefighters, and that he investigated the murder case.
He said he and other officers searched Williams' apartment on Fannin
Street on July 15, 2005 after he received information that made Williams a
suspect in the case. Later that night after a search warrant was issued,
Williams wasbrought to the police department by his father.
Perrett said Williams' fingerprint matched one found in Ms. Schneider's
car, which had been wrecked on Greenbriar Road.
The Smith County jury viewed a 30-minute video of the July 15, 2005,
interview when Williams waived his Miranda rights to remain silent and
have a lawyer present. Williams said he understood that if he didn't want
to answer a question, he could terminate the interview.
Williams said he took medicine for attention deficit disorder but hadn't
taken any that day.
He said he had heard about Ms. Schneider's death and that she was
"brutally beaten," through media reports but repeatedly said he had never
been to the victim's home or to Callahan Street. He also said he did not
have a girlfriend and lived alone at his apartment.
Ms. Schneider's neighbor has testified seeing Williams visit houses on
Callahan Street regularly. And prosecutors have said Williams' girlfriend
lived with him at his apartment.
The defendant told police he couldn't remember where he was the night of
the murder but that he was either at home alone or at his uncle's house.
Perrett told Williams he could prove he was driving Ms. Schneider's Toyota
Camry because he found a mixture of his and her blood in the car. Williams
said that on the morning after the murder, he was at his sister's house
and was walking down the road near Lindsey Park when he saw a man wreck,
get out of his car and run away from him. Williams said he drove the car
out of the roadway and left it there.
When asked by officers, Williams said he never told anyone a story about a
man pulling a gun on him the night of the murder and that he had to stab
the man. Police have said about four people, including Williams'
girlfriend, were told the story by Williams' and one man's call to police
with the story led police to suspect Williams of Ms. Schneider's murder.
Williams repeatedly told the officers he didn't know what they were
talking about when the asked him about Ms. Schneider's death.
"I ain't did nothing," he said.
Dr. Edward Gripon, a psychiatrist, testified that he reviewed the
interview. He said Williams not taking his medication, Abilify for ADD,
the day of the police interview would not affect his ability to understand
his Miranda warnings. He said he did not see anything to indicate that
Williams was unable to understand his rights.
Gripon said if the person had an underlying illness, it would take 1 to 2
weeks of not taking the medication for him to get sick again. He said a
person wouldn't be able to tell whether someone is taking medication
unless they act unusual. He said Abilify is approved to treat
schizophrenia but is effective to treat about half a dozen other
illnesses.
He said the appearance of Williams not paying attention at times during
the interview, when he played with his braided hair or had his thumb in
his mouth, did not change his opinion.
Tyler police Sgt. Jeff Callaway testified again Thursday about evidence he
collected and pictures he took at the victim's home, 311 E. Callahan St.,
and her car found wrecked in the county. He also collected a knife, with a
4-inch blade, allegedly used in the murder that was discovered in a pond
near Ms. Schneider's purse and other personal belongings.
Callaway said he believed Ms. Schneider's death was a homicide because
there were two separate fires in her home, set to the bed and the victim
lying on the floor, her face appeared to be discolored, blood ran from her
mouth and there was a stab wound to her chest.
He said there was an item found on her that could have been part of her
gown or a thin rope, as well as plastic tubing.
The trial was nearly delayed again Thursday after a juror injured his
back. Because the man was the second alternate juror and not one of the 12
jurors, 114th District Judge Cynthia Stevens Kent discharged him from
service and continued with the trial.
Smith County District Attorney Matt Bingham agreed that the juror should
be discharged, but defense attorney Melvin Thompson objected to it and
said the case should be delayed until Monday, when the man would be able
to return to jury duty. He said there was no way of knowing whether
something would happen to a different juror.
Judge Kent said she would have delayed the trial if she thought it would
harm the defendant.
The trial was postponed Monday because of a leaky roof in the Smith County
Courthouse and was tried Tuesday and Wednesday in a federal courtroom
until the roof could be repaired.
Assistant DA April Sikes and defense attorney LaJuanda Lacy are also
trying the case, set to resume Friday morning.
(source: Tyler Morning Telegraph )