Post by Anja Nieser on Oct 1, 2006 5:46:31 GMT -5
VICTIM'S FAMILY TESTIFIES IN MURDER TRIAL
Relatives of Cecelia Schneider testified in a capital murder trial
Tuesday, as well as Tyler police.
Clifton Lamar Williams, 22, faces life in prison or the death penalty if
convicted of beating, strangling and stabbing to death the 93-year-old
woman before setting her body on fire and stealing her car and purse on
July 9, 2005.
Richard Dutke, Ms. Schneider's nephew, said the victim was his "acting
mother" after his own mother died, and they had a very close relationship.
Dutke, who lives in Smith County, was called by a relative and asked to
check his aunt's house at 311 Callahan St. when it was reportedly on fire.
He said he was asked to identify her body, which was "badly" and
"completely" burned.
Sharon Schneider, the victim's daughter-in-law, said she was married to
Ms. Schneider's son Raymond, who died in 2004, and said she had known the
victim for 48 years. She said her husband had bought Ms. Schneider her
house and had given her the Toyota Camry that was stolen and wrecked. She
said that for a Christmas gift a few years before her murder, she bought
Ms. Schneider a kitchen knife consistent with the brand name and look of
the knife discovered by police in a Smith County pond, where Williams told
them it was discarded.
Sharon Schneider said her mother-in-law loved her two cats, Shadow and Big
Boy, which were killed in the fire.
Tyler police Detective Dennis Mathews testified about his involvement in
investigating the capital murder. He said he interviewed Ms. Schneider's
housekeeper and her groundskeeper, as well as several other people
connected to the victim or the defendant.
He said some of the witnesses claimed Williams had told them a story about
shooting a white man who threatened him with a gun. Mathews said they were
unable to find such a victim.
Williams denied ever telling anyone the story.
Because of all of the blood found in the victim's car, police also checked
local hospitals for anyone who had sought treatment for an injury. He said
he saw a cut on Williams' hand when he turned himself in to the police on
July 15, 2005, after an arrest warrant was issued.
Prosecutors claim Williams, whose blood was inside and outside of the
victim's car, cut his hand while stabbing Ms. Schneider.
Mathews said that before a search warrant on Williams' apartment was
executed, a fingerprint found on the car was matched to the defendant.
Mathews said Williams led them to the pond where evidence in the case was
found, including the victim's purse and a knife believed to be the murder
weapon. He said Williams was with them when they located the purse, but
not the knife, which was inside the pond and had to be found with a metal
detector. He said Williams never identified the kitchen knife found and
Mathews said he couldn't be certain it was the exact knife. He said it was
an undistinguishable knife except for its brand.
Mathews said police never asked "Montrell," a man Williams claimed
actually committed the murder but forced him to go along with him, if he
had any motorcycle gloves or a 9 mm gun, as Williams alleged. He said the
defendant's statements changed during their interviews, and they were able
to determine which statements were factual.
The foreman of the grand jury that indicted Williams testified that the
grand jurors could not determine the exact weapons that were used to kill
Ms. Schneider, but listed all possible weapons, such as a knife or sharp
object, his hands, a blunt object or objects unknown to the grand jurors.
Tyler police Officer Mike Saxion testified that he was called out to
Greenbriar Road, where the Toyota Camry was found wrecked, at about 8:30
p.m. on July 9, 2005. He said the car appeared to have been headed
northbound when it slid off of the road, and landed southbound in a ditch.
He said he believed a passerby saw the car and reported it to police.
Tommy Sukiennik said he saw the car as he drove to work at about 7:15 a.m.
Saturday.
A pathologist testified Monday that Ms. Schneider was stabbed 4 times, had
blunt force injuries to her head and neck, and could have possibly been
strangled.
The trial is set to resume Wednesday for the seventh day of state's
evidence in 114th District Judge Cynthia Stevens Kent's court. Smith
County District Attorney Matt Bingham and First Assistant DA April Sikes
are prosecuting the case, while defense attorneys Melvin Thompson and
LaJuanda Lacy are representing Williams.
TRIAL RECAP
On Sept. 19, the first day of Clifton Lamar Williams' murder trial,
prosecutors and defense attorneys outlined the evidence they would submit
to the jury. A neighbor of victim Cecelia Schneider testified he notified
authorities after seeing smoke come from her home and several Tyler
firefighters testified about responding to the fire and finding the body.
On Wednesday, a fire expert said two separate fires, on the bed and the
victim, could have burned for 10 hours or longer before they were
discovered. A Tyler police sergeant testified about evidence he collected
at the victim's home and in her wrecked car.
On Thursday, the jury watched a 30-minute videotape interview Williams did
with police the night he was detained, July 15, 2005. Williams denied any
involvement in Ms. Schneider's death. An alternate juror was discharged
from service after he injured his back. On Friday, jurors heard an
audio-recorded interview when Williams led police to the knife used in the
murder, as well as the victim's purse and other personal belongings.
Williams told police during the interview that another man stabbed the
victim and made him go along with him and drive the stolen car. A DNA
analyst testified that Williams' blood was found in the victim's car.
On Monday, jurors continued hearing testimony from a Tyler police
detective. They also heard a pathologist testify about Ms. Schneider's
injuries, including stab wounds that penetrated her heart and lungs. He
said she was also beaten and could have been strangled before her body was
set on fire.
(source: Tyler Morning Telegraph)
Relatives of Cecelia Schneider testified in a capital murder trial
Tuesday, as well as Tyler police.
Clifton Lamar Williams, 22, faces life in prison or the death penalty if
convicted of beating, strangling and stabbing to death the 93-year-old
woman before setting her body on fire and stealing her car and purse on
July 9, 2005.
Richard Dutke, Ms. Schneider's nephew, said the victim was his "acting
mother" after his own mother died, and they had a very close relationship.
Dutke, who lives in Smith County, was called by a relative and asked to
check his aunt's house at 311 Callahan St. when it was reportedly on fire.
He said he was asked to identify her body, which was "badly" and
"completely" burned.
Sharon Schneider, the victim's daughter-in-law, said she was married to
Ms. Schneider's son Raymond, who died in 2004, and said she had known the
victim for 48 years. She said her husband had bought Ms. Schneider her
house and had given her the Toyota Camry that was stolen and wrecked. She
said that for a Christmas gift a few years before her murder, she bought
Ms. Schneider a kitchen knife consistent with the brand name and look of
the knife discovered by police in a Smith County pond, where Williams told
them it was discarded.
Sharon Schneider said her mother-in-law loved her two cats, Shadow and Big
Boy, which were killed in the fire.
Tyler police Detective Dennis Mathews testified about his involvement in
investigating the capital murder. He said he interviewed Ms. Schneider's
housekeeper and her groundskeeper, as well as several other people
connected to the victim or the defendant.
He said some of the witnesses claimed Williams had told them a story about
shooting a white man who threatened him with a gun. Mathews said they were
unable to find such a victim.
Williams denied ever telling anyone the story.
Because of all of the blood found in the victim's car, police also checked
local hospitals for anyone who had sought treatment for an injury. He said
he saw a cut on Williams' hand when he turned himself in to the police on
July 15, 2005, after an arrest warrant was issued.
Prosecutors claim Williams, whose blood was inside and outside of the
victim's car, cut his hand while stabbing Ms. Schneider.
Mathews said that before a search warrant on Williams' apartment was
executed, a fingerprint found on the car was matched to the defendant.
Mathews said Williams led them to the pond where evidence in the case was
found, including the victim's purse and a knife believed to be the murder
weapon. He said Williams was with them when they located the purse, but
not the knife, which was inside the pond and had to be found with a metal
detector. He said Williams never identified the kitchen knife found and
Mathews said he couldn't be certain it was the exact knife. He said it was
an undistinguishable knife except for its brand.
Mathews said police never asked "Montrell," a man Williams claimed
actually committed the murder but forced him to go along with him, if he
had any motorcycle gloves or a 9 mm gun, as Williams alleged. He said the
defendant's statements changed during their interviews, and they were able
to determine which statements were factual.
The foreman of the grand jury that indicted Williams testified that the
grand jurors could not determine the exact weapons that were used to kill
Ms. Schneider, but listed all possible weapons, such as a knife or sharp
object, his hands, a blunt object or objects unknown to the grand jurors.
Tyler police Officer Mike Saxion testified that he was called out to
Greenbriar Road, where the Toyota Camry was found wrecked, at about 8:30
p.m. on July 9, 2005. He said the car appeared to have been headed
northbound when it slid off of the road, and landed southbound in a ditch.
He said he believed a passerby saw the car and reported it to police.
Tommy Sukiennik said he saw the car as he drove to work at about 7:15 a.m.
Saturday.
A pathologist testified Monday that Ms. Schneider was stabbed 4 times, had
blunt force injuries to her head and neck, and could have possibly been
strangled.
The trial is set to resume Wednesday for the seventh day of state's
evidence in 114th District Judge Cynthia Stevens Kent's court. Smith
County District Attorney Matt Bingham and First Assistant DA April Sikes
are prosecuting the case, while defense attorneys Melvin Thompson and
LaJuanda Lacy are representing Williams.
TRIAL RECAP
On Sept. 19, the first day of Clifton Lamar Williams' murder trial,
prosecutors and defense attorneys outlined the evidence they would submit
to the jury. A neighbor of victim Cecelia Schneider testified he notified
authorities after seeing smoke come from her home and several Tyler
firefighters testified about responding to the fire and finding the body.
On Wednesday, a fire expert said two separate fires, on the bed and the
victim, could have burned for 10 hours or longer before they were
discovered. A Tyler police sergeant testified about evidence he collected
at the victim's home and in her wrecked car.
On Thursday, the jury watched a 30-minute videotape interview Williams did
with police the night he was detained, July 15, 2005. Williams denied any
involvement in Ms. Schneider's death. An alternate juror was discharged
from service after he injured his back. On Friday, jurors heard an
audio-recorded interview when Williams led police to the knife used in the
murder, as well as the victim's purse and other personal belongings.
Williams told police during the interview that another man stabbed the
victim and made him go along with him and drive the stolen car. A DNA
analyst testified that Williams' blood was found in the victim's car.
On Monday, jurors continued hearing testimony from a Tyler police
detective. They also heard a pathologist testify about Ms. Schneider's
injuries, including stab wounds that penetrated her heart and lungs. He
said she was also beaten and could have been strangled before her body was
set on fire.
(source: Tyler Morning Telegraph)