Forney, Texas – Eric Williams, a former Justice of the Peace, was convicted and sentenced to Texas’ Death Row in December of 2014 for the murders of Kaufman County DA Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia. Williams also killed prosecutor Mark Hasse, and has now filed a 169-page request for a new death penalty trial. The murders took place over Easter weekend in 2013 at the McLellands’ Forney home, and in downtown Kaufman where Hasse was assassinated in broad daylight. Williams meticulously planned the murders, holding a grudge against the prosecutors for their role in his previous prosecution for stealing county computer monitors.
Two months before the McLelland murders, Williams wore a disguise and fatally shot Hasse as he walked to the courthouse. In 2020, WFAA Investigative Reporter Tanya Eiserer covered the case on the podcast True Crime Chronicles, sharing intimate details of the story. Williams’ wife, Kim, was a willing accomplice and testified against him in court, leading to her own sentencing of 40 years in prison.
Kim Williams also cooperated with investigators, providing crucial evidence by revealing the location of items discarded after the murders. The evidence, recovered from Lake Tawakoni, supported her account and led to Eric Williams’ conviction. Despite previous unsuccessful appeals, Williams continues to challenge his sentence, citing bias and lack of preparation time for his defense. However, as of now, his execution date has not been set.
In the new filing, Williams claims his defense didn’t have enough time to prepare for the state’s case, the judge was biased, and that moving the trial to Rockwall County didn’t suffice the attempt to stifle publicity. Despite his efforts, Williams’ execution date remains pending, and his appeal for a new trial awaits a decision.