Luke Williams Scheduled To Be Executed Friday Night

In South Carolina, a man is being executed for the murder of his wife and son. Luke Williams, III, 56, was convicted by an Edgefield jury of killing his family, back in 1991. Williams is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection in Columbia, South Carolina. WJBF News Channel 6’s Joy Howe has more.

By Joy Howe

WJBF News Channel 6 Aiken County Reporter

Columbia, SC—Luke Williams’ wait on death row is finally over. It’s been 18 years since his wife, Linda Williams, and adopted son, Shaun, were found dead in a burning van left in a remote patch of woods in Edgefield County…

Linda was beaten to death, Shaun had been strangled….their bodies were doused in gasoline, and then set on fire.

Police said it was staged…meant to appear as though the car had hit a tree, and caught fire.

It took a year for williams to be arrested for the crime. He went to trial in 1993, where an Edgefield County jury heard testimony that, shortly before the murders, Williams had taken out more than $500,000 worth of life insurance on his family.

Despite maintaining innocence throughout the trial, was found guilty.

Over the years, Williams has repeatedly appealed his sentence. Wednesday, his final attempt was denied.

He becomes the first parent to be executed for killing his child in South Carolina, since the ban on executions was lifted in 1977.

WJBF News channel 6’s Joy Howe will have more on the execution on our 11:00 p.m. newscast.