Bio

Perry Eugene Williams Jr. was born on September 22, 1980, in Houston, Texas. He spent his early years in Houston before his family moved to Mississippi in 1991. In 2000, Williams returned to Houston to live with his aunt. He was raised in a family that was generally considered supportive. However, his later choices and associations would lead him down a troubled path.

Williams had a troubled relationship with school. He completed the 12th grade but did not pursue higher education. His work history included various low-skill jobs, such as shipping and receiving, clerical work, and auto mechanic labor. There are no records of significant behavioral issues in his early life, indicating that he did not have a violent background prior to his later criminal activities.

By his teenage years, Williams started to associate with a crowd that negatively influenced him. His family members, including his mother and sister, later acknowledged that he began using drugs and drinking heavily. They noted a change in his behavior, which included substance abuse and criminal activity. He was described as a young man who felt he was grown and was making poor choices due to his social connections and substance use.

In 2000, shortly before his criminal activity escalated, Williams moved back to Houston with his aunt. His return to Houston marked a turning point, as he became involved in criminal activities, eventually leading to a series of robberies and violence. His early life set the stage for his later actions, which would significantly impact both his life and the lives of others.

Murder Story

On September 7, 2000, Perry Eugene Williams Jr. shot and killed Matthew Carter in Harris County, Texas. This murder occurred during a crime spree that involved Williams and three co-defendants, including Knita Butler, Corey Phillips, and James Dunn. On the night of the murder, they were driving around in a car that Williams owned. They planned to commit several robberies.

The group first approached Anthony Gonzales in a parking lot, where Williams pointed a gun at him and demanded his car. After taking Gonzales's belongings, they next saw Carter, who had just returned a rented video to Blockbuster. As Carter was heading to his car, the group spotted him and decided to rob him.

According to Williams's trial testimony, they intended for Dunn to rob Carter as part of an initiation into a gang. However, Dunn froze, and the gun was handed to Williams, who then forced Carter at gunpoint into his own car. Williams got into the driver's seat while Carter pleaded for his life, offering to let them use his ATM card for money. Despite these pleas and Carter's offers, Williams shot him in the head at close range, resulting in Carter's death.

After the murder, Williams and his co-defendants divided forty dollars from Carter's wallet. The group went on to commit two more robberies that same night, further escalating their crime spree. Williams was arrested shortly after and was sentenced to death on June 25, 2002, for the crime.