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Minister Convicted of Murdering His Son So Insurance Money Could Pay Off a Stock Market Debt
In the 1930s, a brazen murder turned into a sensational trial that captivated the nation
Clergymen hold an elevated place in society, as their piety and reputation for helping others earn them such status. However, just like every other group of people, they are far from being infallible. One of the most egregious cases of bad behavior among those of the cloth occurred in the 1930s when a minister was convicted of murdering his own son so he could use the insurance money to pay off debt he had accrued after investing in the stock market.
43-year-old Reverend J.M. Williams shocked the country in 1931 after the depravity of his crimes were uncovered. The native of Rochelle, Georgia was arrested following the murder of his 19-year-old son Raford, who was in the Navy.
The minister was arrested as he was about to leave to go preach at his Methodist church. It was alleged that he had made arrangements for his son to be given leave from his Navy ship under the pretext that he was to return home to attend to an ailing sister. It was all a fabrication, as there was no illness.
Raford was found dead along the side of the road, shot multiple times, just two days before he was to return to his ship. An investigation quickly pieced together what had happened. The minister wasted no time in collecting a $2,500 insurance policy on his son, which also proved to be his own downfall.
While Williams initially denied involvement, when confronted with evidence that had been accumulated, he quickly confessed to the unholy killing. He explained that it was caused by getting into a tight spot with money, all caused by his bad instincts when it came to investing (specifically cotton futures). He explained:
“I got in pretty deep in the stock market and lost some money. I decided to stop all that and start all over again so I called my board of stewards together and told them what I had done, and that I was going to quit gambling.”
Borrowing a pistol from a neighbor, the minister had driven to meet his son once he disembarked from the ship. He then later drove him back on the several…
