School Essay: The Trial Against Wayne Williams

The Trial Against Wayne Williams

Case Study #2- Hair and Fibers

Leslie K. Penny

Chancellor University

Abstract

In 1982, Wayne Williams was tried for the murders of two men in their 20's, Nathaniel Cater and Jimmy Payne.  On the bodies of the victims were several fibers and animal hair that forensic analysis linked to the home of Wayne Williams.  Each victim had fiber on their persons from Wayne Williams bedroom bedspread, bedroom carpet, a blanket from under his bed and hair from the family dog.  Jimmy Payne also had carpet fibers from Wayne Williams Station Wagon, fibers from a throw rug and blue rayon fibers that further placed him in the home of Wayne Williams.  Nathaniel Cater, in addition to the fibers mentioned above that were on both victims, also had fibers from a backroom in Wayne Williams house as well fibers from green carpet in his house.  The fiber evidence in conjunction with other evidence gave jurors the information they needed to convict Wayne Williams.  The fiber evidence proved to be an essential part of this case. 

The Trial Against Wayne Williams

            In the trial against Wayne Williams, who was charged for the murders of Nathaniel Cater and Jimmy Payne, involved several pieces of trace evidence that the prosecution introduced in the trial against him.  The importance of this case is the fact that the evidence used against Wayne Williams was of a fibrous nature that would usually support other evidence but in this case other evidence found supported the fibers instead. 

            On a personal note, not speaking of trace evidence yet, I think the most damaging piece of evidence was the night he was placed at the James Jackson Parkway Bridge where a body was found in the waters near the bridge two days later.  It is not as if a citizen heard a splash and then saw it was Wayne Williams on the bridge in that time frame.  It was four police officers that were stationed under the bridge when they heard something hit the water and were able to stop Wayne Williams on the bridge.  He was almost caught red handed. 

            I think the fiber evidence supported this particular incident, not the other way around.  Due to the nature of the hour Wayne Williams was on that bridge, the fact that something was obviously thrown from the bridge causing the splash, the fact that a surveillance team was positioned under that very bridge, and the fact that Nathaniel Cater's body was found a mere two days later in close proximity of the bridge is very damaging information against Wayne Williams.

            Now, when it comes to trace evidence, I honestly can't choose which of three pieces of trace evidence that took precedence in this trial to be the most damaging.  I feel the fibers from the green carpet, the fibers from the bed spread and the dog hairs found, work in tandem to make the prosecution of Wayne Williams a force to be reckoned with.  From the viewpoint of the case study, it seems the green fibers are the most important, they were the most researched, but I would think the finding of dog hairs on the two bodies that matched the dog in Wayne Williams home would be the most incrementing.  If not Wayne Williams then someone in that house conducted the murders.  Then again, I'm not a very educated individual when it comes to animal hair.  However, the article didn't emphasize the importance of the dog hair at all. 

            It is a shame that no human hair was recovered from the two victims that Wayne Williams is on trial for murdering.  I do understand that two human hairs were recovered from another victim that resembled that of Wayne Williams but he was never tried for that murder.  The trace evidence (mainly fibers) just kept mounting up to include carpet fibers, fibers from his bedspread and fibers from a blanket under his bed.  Add to the fact that nine other victims were linked to Wayne Williams through fiber analysis of carpet from a 1970 Chevrolet, carpet from a 1979 Ford and the truck liner from a 1978 Plymouth.  All the vehicles mentioned were ones that Wayne Williams had access to.  With all this trace evidence against Wayne Williams I believe he is guilty of not only the murders he was on trial for but also the other murders that were linked to him through fiber analysis.

            In conclusion, I'm sure once this case was over and Wayne Williams was jailed, the murders of black boys and young black men in that particular area ceased.  The case study doesn't mention this, just my perception.  If that is indeed the case and the murders stopped, in my opinion, that just further emphasizes he is the guilty party of all the murders.  In this case there was quite the list of evidence against Wayne Williams.  However, it was the trace evidence that was emphasized the most in the case that put Wayne Williams away.     

           

Reference

 Saferstein, R. (2007). Criminalistics: An introduction to forensic science (9th ed.). New Jersey:                Pearson Prentice Hall.