CLEARFIELD – A Morrisdale woman who was acquitted of murder in the death of her husband but found guilty of involuntary manslaughter is asking for a new trial.
In June, a jury determined that Kimberly Sue Williams, 48, was guilty of involuntary manslaughter and recklessly endangering another person, both misdemeanors, in relation to Ronald Williams Jr.’s death.
She was acquitted of first- and third-degree murder.
During the trial, the defense claimed that Ronald Williams Jr., who was bedridden after a stroke six years before, shot himself in the head on March 14, 2019 because he was depressed and obsessed with death.
During the trial, the prosecution produced evidence that Ronald Williams Jr. sent a message just hours before his death, saying if something happened to him that an autopsy should be done and he wanted to change his will, which benefited his wife who was due to inherit over one million dollars from a trust fund set up for his care.
Physical evidence in the case included traces of gun powder residue on Kimberly Williams’s hand while Ronald Williams Jr. had none, not even in the wound.
There was also no blood on the barrel of the gun, and a pathologist determined that the shot in the head that killed Ronald Williams Jr. came from further away than the length of Ronald Williams Jr.’s arm.
During motion’s court, Steven Trialonas, attorney for Williams, discussed his post-sentence motions filed in October following her sentencing hearing when President Judge Fredric J. Ammerman gave her time served (302 days to 604 days in the county jail) plus three years probation.
Trialonas contends that there was no evidence presented at trial for the involuntary manslaughter or recklessly endangering charge. He said he believes the jury made a determination that she did not pull the trigger, but there was nothing to support that she was reckless and this led to his death.
Because the jury asked if she could be guilty if she didn’t hold the gun, he speculated that they believed she was reckless for not taking the gun away. But there was no evidence of this presented at the trial.
He is asking for Williams to be acquitted of these two charges based on insufficient evidence or for a new trial on these charges. He is also asking for a new trial because he feels information presented in court should have been suppressed.
District Attorney Ryan Sayers noted that there was “overwhelming evidence” of murder in this case. Just because the commonwealth did not present information on her recklessness, he stated that doesn’t mean the jury couldn’t consider other options.
Williams is also questioning the costs of prosecution in the case that are over $20,000.
Ammerman pointed out that Williams was set to receive a large amount of money from her husband’s trust and “now she wants to litigate $20,000”?
“It’s like having her cake and eating it too.”
Noting that the trial “was very clean” from his point of view, Ammerman ruled to give both sides 15 days to present briefs on these issues and extended the time for Trialonas to amend his post-sentence motions until Feb. 1 because he has not yet received a transcript of the trial.
