who killed district attorney mike mcclellan

What gang is involved in the McLelland murders?

Authorities investigating the McLelland murders have released no motive for the shootings, but suspicion has fallen on a white power gang called the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas. The gang's 4,000 members are active in the state's prisons, and are allegedly involved in drug dealing and prostitution.

How many times was Mike McLelland's wife shot?

The source also said that Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland’s wife was shot once — a revelation that conflicts with a search warrant affidavit filed by the Texas Rangers, and reported on by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The paper reported that each victim was shot multiple times.

Why did the assistant U.S. attorney withdraw from the prosecution of the alleged gang members?

Anxiety about security reportedly pushed an assistant U.S. attorney in Houston to withdraw from the prosecution of the alleged gang members, the Dallas Morning News reported.

What gun was used in the McLellands murders?

They also found guns, including eight .223-caliber weapons, authorities said. Investigators believe a .223-caliber firearm was used in the killings of the McLellands. Ammunition consistent with that used both in Hasse's and the McLellands' slayings was also found in the storage locker, according to the warrant.

Who was the gunman in the Hasse murders?

"The discovery of the storage locker probably was the watershed event that put us on to this," Byrnes said. Authorities allege Eric Williams, 46, was the gunman in all of the slayings. They say his wife, who is also 46, was the getaway driver when her husband shot Hasse.

What was Kim Williams arrested for?

Williams was arrested Saturday and charged with making a terroristic threat in connection with that email. Kim Williams was arrested Wednesday. An arrest affidavit contends she confessed to the killings and told investigators her husband was the gunman.

Who is Mike McLelland's wife?

The bodies of 63-year-old Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife, 65-year-old Cynthia McLelland, were not discovered until one of their five children was unable to reach them by phone and asked a friend to check on them early Saturday evening.

Did McLelland save his wife?

As good as McLelland may have been, it did not save him or his wife on Easter weekend. The suspects include the white supremacist Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, a prison-spawned gang distinguished from the national Aryan Brotherhood by its hyperviolence. It is said to have been involved in as many as 100 killings since its founding in the 1980s.

What was the effect of the McLelland murders on Kaufman County?

Following the McLelland murders, numerous elected officials in the county were placed under protection by law-enforcement officers at home and at work. Security was visibly increased at the Kaufman County Courthouse.

Who replaced the District Attorney who was arrested for driving under the influence?

McLelland had been elected to his office in 2010 and was widely viewed as an excellent replacement for the previous district attorney, who had been arrested for driving under the influence while in office. Mike McLelland was an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve for 23 years, and worked as a clinical psychologist before pursuing a legal career. Cynthia McLelland worked as a clinical psychologist for many years before becoming a psychiatric nurse at Terrell State Hospital.

Where was Michael McLelland's body found?

On March 30, 2013, the bodies of Kaufman County Criminal District Attorney Michael McLelland, 63, and his wife, Cynthia Woodward McLelland, 65, were found in their home located in Talty in rural Kaufman County . The murdered couple was discovered by Dallas police officer, C.J. Tomlinson, and his step-father, Skeet Phillips, who were both family friends of the McLellands. The duo entered the home to check on the couple after a family member was unable to contact them; Tomlinson's mother had called him after her phone calls to both McClellands, trying to arrange a time to drop off vegetables for a dinner Mrs. McClelland was preparing for the Phillips family. Tomlinson found the front door closed but unlocked — unusual in a situation in which McClelland had, like his colleagues, been particularly alert to personal safety since the Hasse murder — and noticed shell casings on the entryway floor as he carefully opened the door. Both victims had been shot and killed in what was described as a home invasion -type assault on their property.

Where was Mark Hasse shot?

On January 31, 2013, Mark Hasse was shot and killed while walking in the 100 block of East Grove Street in Kaufman, Texas. Hasse was the chief assistant district attorney for the Kaufman County Criminal District Attorney's Office. He was walking from his car to the courthouse when a gunman shot him repeatedly, and then fled the area in a waiting car. Hasse, 57, had been an attorney for many years, and had previously served as an assistant district attorney in Dallas County under District Attorney Henry Wade. He had worked for Kaufman County since 2010 as a prosecutor, and was also a licensed police officer commissioned with the district attorney's office.

Where was the murder of the prosecutor's wife?

In 2013, two prosecutors and a prosecutor's wife were murdered in Kaufman County, Texas. The case gained national attention in the United States due to speculation that the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang was responsible, but this was later found to be untrue.

Who conducted the Kaufman County manhunt?

A large manhunt was conducted by law-enforcement agencies, including the Kaufman Police Department, the Kaufman County Sheriff, several Kaufman County Constable's Offices, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Who was the first journalist to go inside the Kaufman County Prosecutor Murders?

The first journalist to go inside the prisons to interview Kim and Eric Will iams, Casey conducted extensive interviews over a two-year period with both the convicted killers. During those sessions, Eric Williams denied any involvement in the killings and professed his innocence. In contrast, Kim Williams described in detail the events leading up to the murders and recounted the days of the killings. She claimed to regret her actions and acknowledged that she could have stopped her husband by contacting authorities before any of the victims died. Kim Williams filed for divorce while in prison, and it became final in January 2018.

Who is Mike McLelland?

Kaufman District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, were gunned down at their home on March 31. (The Kaufman Herald)

Who is behind the killings in Texas?

There has been speculation that the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, a white supremacist prison gang that has been targeted by Kaufman County prosecutors, was behind the killings.

Where were the McLellands buried?

The McLellands were laid to rest at a ceremony in suburban Dallas on Thursday attended by dozens of law enforcement officers and public officials, including Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

Who is Mike McLelland's wife?

Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia Woodward McLelland, were found slain Saturday, March 30, 2013, two months after Mark Hasse, one of McLelland's top assistants, was gunned down in broad daylight near the Kaufman County Courthouse. In mid-April, Eric Lyle Wiilliams, a former Kaufman County justice of the peace, and his wife, Kim Lene Williams, were arrested and charged with capital murder in all three deaths. Prosecutors say Eric Williams planned and carried out the killings as revenge for McLelland and Hasse prosecuting him in a theft and burglary case that resulted in his removal from his justice of the peace post and the loss of his law license.

Who filed for change of venue in DA murders?

Defense seeks change of venue in DA murders case Public defenders Matthew Seymour and John Wright filed for the motion to change venues, insisting that "there exists in Kaufman County, Texas, so great a prejudice against the defendant that the defendant cannot receive a trial by an impartial jury free from outside influences."