Bio

Willie Ray Williams was born on February 12, 1956. He grew up in Houston, Texas. Not much is known about his early family life or childhood. However, like many kids, Willie faced challenges growing up in a tough environment.

As a teenager, Williams started to get involved with the wrong crowd. By the time he was just 17 years old, he had already committed multiple robberies. He was not yet old enough to vote, but he had begun a path of crime that would lead him into serious trouble.

Williams did not continue his education after the 11th grade. His decisions during these formative years would greatly impact the course of his life. He was often seen hanging out with friends who would influence his choices, leading to frequent encounters with the law.

In October 1980, Williams and his friends decided to carry out a robbery. They drove to a delicatessen in Houston, where the events that unfolded would change their lives forever. At that time, Willie was only 24 years old.

His early life was marked by poor choices and risky behavior, which set the stage for the serious crimes that followed. Williams’s story serves as an example of how a person’s early environment and influences can lead to significant consequences later in life.

Murder Story

On October 13, 1980, Willie Ray Williams and Joseph Nichols drove to Joseph’s Delicatessen and Grocery in Houston, Texas. They planned to rob the store. Williams carried a .380 semi-automatic pistol, while Nichols had a snub-nosed .38 revolver. When they entered the deli, they pointed their guns at Claude Schaffer Jr., a 70-year-old employee who was behind the counter.

When Schaffer noticed the guns, he bent down as if to comply. However, both men opened fire, hitting Schaffer, who collapsed behind the counter. Witness Cindy Johnson, another deli employee, testified that Schaffer never attempted to reach for his own gun.

After shooting Schaffer, Williams and Nichols hurried to leave the store. Before fully exiting, Williams fired another shot at Schaffer, who was still on the ground. Then, he went behind the counter and took the cash box containing $8 before fleeing the scene with Nichols. They joined their accomplices, Charlotte Parker and Evelyn Harvey, in a waiting car. Nichols told Parker and Harvey about the shooting and claimed Williams shot Schaffer again.

Law enforcement arrested Williams, Nichols, Parker, and Harvey three days later. Schaffer died from a single gunshot wound. Williams later confessed to the murder, and at that time, he had a history of committing multiple robberies.

During the trial, Parker, who had been Williams' girlfriend, testified against him in hopes of receiving a lighter sentence. Her testimony implicated Williams and connected him to other robberies. Williams attempted to waive his right to a jury trial, but the law requires a jury in capital cases. In a surprising move, he pleaded guilty to capital murder, believing it might lead to a life sentence rather than the death penalty. However, the jury ultimately sentenced him to death, deeming his actions deliberate.

Williams' legal team pursued various appeals but were unsuccessful. His execution was carried out by lethal injection on January 31, 1995. On the same day, another person, Clifton Russell, was also executed. The two were kept in separate areas before their executions.