Bio

James T. Williams, also known by the nickname "Mathematics," was born in the United States. Unfortunately, detailed information about his early life, such as his date of birth and childhood experiences, is not well-documented in public records.

Growing up, Williams likely faced many challenges, as is common in the lives of individuals who later engage in serious criminal activities. It is known that he was involved with drugs and crime from a young age, which would shape his interests and social connections.

As he became a teenager and moved into adulthood, Williams began to associate with others involved in illegal activities. He became particularly linked to drug dealing and robbery, forming groups with other individuals who shared similar interests in crime. This led to his later involvement in significant criminal incidents, but details about his specific influences or upbringing remain unclear.

Throughout his early life, Williams developed traits that contributed to his future actions. His nickname, "Mathematics," suggests he may have had a keen interest in or aptitude for certain skills, likely related to planning and strategizing in his criminal activities, although the reasons behind this nickname are not fully explained.

Murder Story

On May 29, 1995, Richard White, known as “Pookie,” called Lamar Peterson to buy marijuana. Peterson thought White might have a lot of cash since he had sold his marijuana. He suggested to James T. Williams that they rob White during this meeting. They planned for Peterson to meet White, while Williams would come in and rob them.

Peterson, Williams, and Curtis French set off to find White but could not locate his apartment. They returned to Peterson’s place and informed others, Ralph Logan and Luis Avila, about the plan. They tried again, with Avila calling White to confirm a visit. This time, they left again to find White’s apartment, but ended up at the wrong one once more.

Finally, they got the correct location and approached White. When White saw them, he went outside, hiding a pistol in his shorts. Williams demanded that White take them to his apartment and give them money. White refused, raising his arms and saying his children were inside. Williams then pulled out a MAC 10 automatic weapon and shot White twice in the chest and once in the thigh. White fell down, and the group ran back to Peterson’s apartment.

Once there, Williams told Peterson that he had shot White because he was not cooperating. Later that summer, both Williams and Peterson were arrested in Baltimore by the FBI for a different bank robbery. Peterson then revealed Williams' involvement in the murder of White. Other group members, Avila, French, and Logan, were also arrested and confirmed Peterson’s story. They mentioned that Williams used the same weapon in other bank robberies.

Williams was convicted in federal court in November 1996 for robbery and was sentenced to 57 years in prison. While he was serving this sentence, Lehigh County prosecutors pursued murder charges against him. They prepared to extradite him from federal prison when that was allowed.

At his murder trial, Williams defended himself despite advice not to. He attacked the credibility of witnesses and made accusations against the prosecutors and law enforcement. Since many witnesses were serving sentences for other crimes, he questioned their motives for cooperating with the prosecution. Williams insisted that French was the real shooter and claimed there was a conspiracy against him involving many officials.

The police managed to recover the murder weapon after another robbery attempt by Williams' group. Ballistic tests showed that the gun was the same one used to murder White. The getaway car was also traced back to Williams, and it had evidence that matched the crime scene.

The prosecution provided expert testimony that supported their case. An inmate from Lehigh County Prison testified that Williams admitted to killing someone. Williams had also tried to create a false alibi by coaching another inmate’s family member to lie for him. However, when the plan was discovered, it led to more evidence against him.

The jury found Williams guilty of first-degree murder. During the sentencing phase, he again argued for his character and downplayed his violent actions. The prosecution presented Williams’ history of violent felonies and the nature of the crime, which happened during a robbery. The jury accepted the aggravating circumstances and sentenced Williams to death.