A 67-year-old woman who secretly insured her fiancé and then arranged for his murder was sentenced to 225 months in federal prison on Thursday. U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig handed down the sentence to Victoria Rena Williams following her September guilty plea to charges of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, aiding and abetting murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The case centered on the 2011 death of Charles Harris III, a churchgoing man who worked for an alarm company and was on the verge of opening a clothing boutique.
Court records and trial testimony revealed that the plot began in 2010 when Williams’ associate, 70-year-old Michael Grady, suggested she take out a $250,000 accidental death policy on Harris. Williams obtained the policy without Harris’ knowledge, specifically verifying that it would pay out if he were killed during a robbery.
On October 5, 2011, Williams set up a meeting at Harris’ home on Langford Drive, telling him he was meeting two potential suit customers. Harris was fatally shot during the encounter. While testifying at Grady’s trial, Williams admitted she tried to back out of the plan twice, but claimed Grady warned her it could be “bad for you” if she failed to follow through.
Following the murder and a dispute with the insurance provider, Williams collected $224,444 from the accidental death policy and another $175,762 from a separate policy. Evidence showed she later obtained a $110,000 cashier’s check made out to Grady’s wife.
While Williams has been sentenced, Grady was convicted by a jury on Monday for his role in the conspiracy. He currently faces life in prison without parole, with a sentencing date set for June 4.
Grady is already serving 226 months for his involvement in a separate violent drug conspiracy. Investigators from the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI noted that the shooters hired by Grady have never been identified.
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