Snapped is examining the death of Ronald Williams Jr, who died from a gunshot at his home in Morrisdale, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. His wife, Kimberly Sue Williams, was initially charged with his murder but was eventually convicted of involuntary manslaughter.
On March 14, 2019, Kimberly dialed 911 and told the dispatcher her husband had shot himself. Ronald was bedridden following a stroke and described as a person with quadriplegia with only limited use of his right arm.
The police initially believed that it was a case of suicide. Ronald had suffered from depression and regularly talked about killing himself. He often handled guns carelessly, including one incident shortly before his death when he lost control of a firearm and shot a hole in a wall.
The weekend before his death, Ronald’s daughter had taken a gun from him “because she was scared of his behavior.”
However, the cops soon began to suspect that Kimberly had been the one to pull the trigger. Ronald had received about $1.4 million in a settlement from the hospital following his stroke, which was put into a trust to pay for his medical care.
When Ronald passed away, that money was initially to be distributed between Kimberly and their daughters; however, just before his death, Kimberly was made the sole beneficiary.
Ronald Williams feared Kimberly Williams was trying to kill him
The trust account manager, James Wilkinson of NDC Advisors of Pittsburgh, contacted the police shortly after Ronald’s death to say he’d previously received an email from Ronald telling him there was something wrong with his will and that if he died, there was to be an autopsy.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelRonald had also emailed his daughter to say he believed Kimberly was trying to kill him and that she should contest the will.
An autopsy revealed that there was no gun residue on Ronald’s remains, meaning the gun must have been fired from a distance greater than four feet. This meant Ronald could not have fired the weapon.
Kimberly Williams convicted of involuntary manslaughter in death of Ronald Williams
A jury refused to convict Kimberly of murder but instead opted to convict her of involuntary manslaughter and recklessly endangering another person.
The jury ruled there was substantial proof that Kimberly had given Ronald loaded firearms despite knowing he struggled to control the weapons. However, there wasn’t enough evidence to show she had murdered him herself.
Kimberly had already been held for 604 days without bail, which exceeded the recommended sentencing guidelines. Therefore, she was sentenced to time served plus three years consecutive probation and a $5,000 fine.
Snapped airs Sundays at 6/5c on Oxygen.