Husband killed in murder plot begged wife, police say

The two men accused of killing Steven Williams lured him out of his house by telling him his wife was in danger, police say.

Under the direction of his wife, who police believe was motivated by suspicions of infidelity, the men drove Williams to a quiet spot under a bridge near the White River in Indianapolis.

Once there, the two men let Williams make one final plea to his wife on a cellphone to spare his life, court records say, before she told the pair to "do it."

Opal Williams, 35, Rickey King, 56, and Charles Lehman Jr., 20, were all charged in Marion County on Tuesday with murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

The investigation began on March 14 when Opal Williams reported her husband missing to the Johnson County Sheriff's Office, according to court documents. She told police her husband was last seen in the couple's van at a Wendy's on U.S. 31.

She said her husband drove to the fast food restaurant following an argument.

Three days later, the van was spotted by an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Officer in the area of West Street and Raymond Street near the White River, court documents said. Johnson County officials were called in, and the van was towed to a holding facility in Whiteland.

Detectives on Thursday went back to the spot where the van was found. That afternoon, blood was located on the ground where the van had been parked.

That night, a conservation officer located a rolled and bound carpet along the riverbank, court documents said. The body of Steven Williams was found inside. Investigators determined that his cause of death was a stab wound to the chest and multiple lacerations to the throat and neck.

Police spoke with Opal Williams on Saturday, court documents said. During the interview, she admitted to working with King, her boyfriend, and Lehman, her cousin, to kill her husband, court documents said.

An IMPD press release announcing the charges originally identified Lehman as King's cousin.

Opal Williams told police that she stayed behind at a relative's house while King and Lehman lured Steven Williams into the van on March 10 by saying that his wife had been hurt. She said the men then drove to the spot under the bridge where the crime was committed, court documents said.

King and Lehman told investigators about the plot as well, stating that King held Steven Williams down while Lehman stabbed him multiple times, court documents said.

Lehman said he chose the murder spot ahead of time, court documents said. He told police that he was familiar with the area because he used to live there in a tent when he was homeless.

King and Lehman said they placed multiple calls to Opal Williams before the stabbing, court documents said. They allowed him to speak to his wife on speaker phone before he lost consciousness. The suspects also said Steven Williams had time to smoke a couple of cigarettes before he died.

Charles Lehman's grandmother was with Opal Williams when the stabbing took place, court documents said. She said she was in the room when Steven Williams called his wife to beg for his life.

Opal Williams responded by telling her husband that he should not have been sleeping with another woman, court documents said. Opal Williams then told Lehman to "do it."

Opal handed the phone to Lehman's grandmother who told her grandson to "do what you gottta do," court documents said.

After the stabbing, King and Lehman rolled the victim in a carpet they found in the area and put his body in the river, court documents said. They were unable to drive the van back up the muddy embankment, so they abandoned it and walked back to Greenwood.

They returned to the scene with Opal Williams the next day to pick up items they left behind.

All three suspects remain in custody in Marion County Jail. Their initial hearing took place Wednesday morning.

Contact Star reporter Justin L. Mack at (317) 444-6138. Follow him on Twitter: @justinlmack.