Lawyers seek sympathy for convicted ex-official

Lawyers seek sympathy for convicted ex-official


2 photos
Save Story

Estimated read time: Less than a minute

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

ROCKWALL, Texas (AP) — Attorneys for a former public official convicted of capital murder in a revenge plot against North Texas prosecutors are portraying him in a sympathetic light in an effort to spare him the death penalty.

Jurors heard a fifth day of testimony Friday to determine the punishment for 47-year-old Eric Williams.

His lawyers have called childhood friends who described the former justice of the peace as smart and considerate.

Court was later adjourned until Monday.

Williams was convicted last week of fatally shooting Cynthia McLelland, who was found dead last year with her husband, Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland, in their home near Dallas. Williams is accused of killing Mike McLelland and an assistant prosecutor two months earlier.

Prosecutors say Williams plotted revenge after being convicted of stealing county equipment.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Photos

Most recent U.S. stories

Related topics

U.S.
The Associated Press

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast