Roy L. Williams

Background

Roy L. Williams was sentenced to death in Pennsylvania on September 14, 1993 for the shooting death of James P. McDonnell. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of sentence on June 20, 1995.

Williams had been convicted for robbery three times. In the Massachusetts cases, he was convicted of manslaughter. In a separate incident, he was convicted of armed robbery and assault and battery. As a juvenile, records showed that he threatened his mother with a knife, broke household furniture, acted sadistically toward the family dog, and assaulted his sister on three occasions, one requiring hospitalization.

Williams fled to Massachusetts where he committed an additional murder and other crimes before being captured and returned to Pennsylvania to be tried for McDonnell’s murder.

The offence

On January 31, 1992, Roy Williams was convicted of first-degree murder and possession of an instrument of crime in connection with the shooting death of James P. McDonnell.

The murder took place while Williams and three acquaintances were walking on Foulkrod Street after playing video games at an arcade on Mulberry Street. After McDonnell turned onto Foulkrod Street, Williams reached into his coat for a gun and repeatedly shot him in the head, chest and leg.

Investigation and evidence at trial

At trial, one witness testified that he and Williams were “getting high” earlier that day at a friend’s house. The witness testified that the suspect said he wanted to kill the “first white dude” he saw. After the shooting, the witness testified that Williams returned to the same house and bragged of shooting a “white boy.”

Two other witnesses testified at trial. They were girls who were just 12 and 14 years old, and they gave similar accounts.

One of the girls testified that Williams told her he was recently released from prison and vowed to “kill the first white man he saw.”

Trial

Following a three-day trial in January 1992, a jury convicted Williams of first-degree murder.

Sentencing

On September 14, 1993, Williams was sentenced to death.

Appeals

A first warrant was issued on October 11, 1995. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court stayed the execution pending the disposition of Williams’ certiorari petition with the United States Supreme Court. Certiorari was denied on January 8, 1996.

A second warrant was issued on February 2, 1996. The Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County stayed Williams’ execution for 90 days to provide time for resolution of his Post Conviction Relief Appeal (PCRA) proceedings. The stay was lifted on May 12, 1996.

On March 31, 1997, the lower court denied Williams’ PCRA petition.

On appeal, the state Supreme Court affirmed the denial in part, reversed in part and remanded the case to the lower court for further proceedings.

On August 10, 2001, the Court of Common Pleas again denied Williams’ PCRA petition. The State Supreme Court affirmed the denial on April 1, 2004. Reargument was denied on May 25, 2004.

Outcome

Roy L. Williams remained under a death sentence issued by Pennsylvania on September 14, 1993, after the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania affirmed the judgment of sentence on June 20, 1995.

Governor Edward G. Rendell signed a warrant for execution by lethal injection of Roy L. Williams of Philadelphia County. Williams’s execution was scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 17, 2005.

Other details

The case included charges of first-degree murder and possession of an instrument of crime in connection with the shooting death of James P. McDonnell.

Williams was described as being 39 years old and as an inmate at the State Correctional Facility at Greene.