Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Williams: guilty

Tekelia Williams said she played a role in the 2004 murder of R.H. Booger Cummins and that she was willing to face the courts punishment.

Williams appeared before Ninth Judicial District Judge Duncan Culpepper Monday and entered a plea of guilty. In return, prosecutors lessened the charge from capital murder to murder in the first degree. Culpepper sentenced Williams to 30 years in prison for the murder and 20 years for burglary. The sentences will run concurrently.

Williams told Culpepper that shed been asked by three young men - including her brother, R.J. Williams - to drive them from Stephens to Cummins home in July of 2004. Williams denied that her brother had told her about his plan to rob Cummins.

He didnt talk to me, Williams said.

She said she dropped the four on the highway near Cummins home, then drove down the road to wait for them. She said she was just about to leave when the three appeared. Under questioning by Ninth Judicial District Prosecutor Chris Thomason, Williams said she knew Cummins had been killed as soon as the three men got back into the car.

(R.J. Williams) made the statement to you that he shot Mr. Cummins in the back? Thomason asked.

Yes sir, Tekelia Williams answered.

Bob Cummins, son of the victim, addressed the court prior to sentencing.

This was a selfish cowardly act, Cummins said. He worked hard all this life to try to do right.

Cummins told Culpepper that he believed any sentence to be handed down by the court would be too light.

Thats just how I feel, Judge, Cummins said.

Culpepper gave Williams an opportunity to speak before he imposed the sentence.

I apologize to the family, Williams said. Then she nodded toward Bob Cummins. If I was him, Id feel the same way.

The murder charge carried a possible sentence of 40 years. Thomason recommended 30 and Culpepper agreed to that sentence.

Williams is the second of four defendants in the case. Her brother and Kendrick Barton have not yet come to trial. Kevin Barton pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to life in prison. The three men were also charged in the death of Allene Tate just a month after Cummins murder.