CLEARFIELD – The financial advisor and attorney who oversaw an alleged murder victim’s special needs trust and will testified during the third day of trial for Kimberly S. Williams in Clearfield County Court.
Williams, now 48, is accused of shooting and killing her husband, Ronald Williams Jr., the afternoon of March 14, 2019 at the couple’s Elm Drive home, Morrisdale, then staging it to appear as a suicide.
Further investigation revealed that the victim had suffered a severe stroke six years prior, was partially paralyzed and fully dependent upon others to care for him.
Additionally, Clearfield-based state police troopers learned that he’d asked to change his will, because he felt something wasn’t right and that his wife was planning to kill him.
Kimberly Williams is charged with first-degree murder, third-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter in connection with her husband’s death.
She’s also charged with felony aggravated assault (two counts) as well as misdemeanor simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.
James Wilkinson of NDC Advisors in Pittsburgh testified that he managed Ronald Williams’ Special Needs Trust Fund. He said several years earlier, Ronald Williams went to the hospital and there was a misdiagnosis.
Ultimately, he said Ronald Williams had a stroke, leaving him partially paralyzed. He had limited use of the right side of his body. For this, Wilkinson said the hospital paid out a $3 million settlement to Ronald and Kimberly Williams.
After all fees, Wilkinson said the couple received approximately $1.4 million and there was a trust established to cover costs related to Ronald Williams’ care.
The trust enabled Ronald Williams to have a more conducive home with an indoor therapy pool, customized van, in-home medical equipment, etc., and had a total value over $1.1 million at the time of his death.
At 1:24 p.m. March 14, 2019, Wilkinson said he received an e-mail from Ronald Williams, stating if anything would happen to him to have an autopsy conducted.
“I can’t prove anything, but something isn’t right,” the victim wrote to Wilkinson. He also asked Wilkinson for help with having changes made to his will and finding him in-home care.
Wilkinson said he found Ronald Williams’ e-mail very concerning, and contacted Attorney Nora Gieg Chatha of Tucker Arensberg P.C., Pittsburgh, who prepared the original special needs trust and will.
Later that afternoon, he contacted the victim, asking what changes he wanted to make to his will, and also communicated plans to have them made early the following week.
Around 6:37 p.m., Wilkinson said he talked to Kimberly Williams, who had discovered her husband’s e-mail and indicated an autopsy wasn’t necessary because he shot himself in the head, and she wanted to have his burial quickly.
Wilkinson said he was directed by a superior at NDC Advisors to contact Pennsylvania State Police, Clearfield, which he did. He also faxed his e-mail from Ronald Williams to investigators.
Chatha testified that per Ronald Williams’ will, Kimberly Williams would receive the balance of his trust – outright free and clear once Medicaid was reimbursed – if he died. The will was signed Jan. 8, 2019.
Via teleconference, the couple’s daughter, Miranda Williams, 27, said she received a Facebook message from her father at 1:44 p.m. March 14, 2019, in which he suspected her mother may be trying to kill him.
If something were to happen, Miranda Williams said she was instructed to contest the will. “There’s something wrong with me; I’m not right” and “your mom keeps telling me she hates me.”
When she fully read the messages later that evening and found out about her father’s death, she took screenshots of the messages and sent them to state police.
Under cross-examination, she admitted to having also received other messages from her father – in the months prior to his death – in which he expressed his desire to die.
Ronald Williams’ occupational therapist, Nicole Twoey-Cieslewicz, said she visited him later in the evening March 13, 2019, and their session was cut short because he was so fatigued.
“He could barely do therapy,” she said, adding she requested Kimberly Williams to send her a complete list of his medications to determine if any medications, dosages, etc. had been recently changed.
She testified Ronald Williams would not have been able to lift his right hand to shoot himself. When confronted with state police reports showing she’d previously stated he was physically able, she indicated she didn’t recall that statement.
Twoey-Cieslewicz also said she’d worked as Ronald Williams’ therapist for 2.5 – 3 years and visited him up to three times a week. She said he didn’t appear depressed and shared how he wanted to watch his grandchildren grow up.
The trial is being prosecuted by District Attorney Ryan Sayers and First Assistant DA Leanne Nedza; Kimberly Williams is being represented by defense attorney Steven Paul Trialonas.
Testimony will resume at 9 a.m. Friday in Courtroom No. 1 at the Clearfield County Courthouse before President Judge Fredric Ammerman.