Tarrant County

Keller “Black Widow” Murder Trial Underway

Opening statements begin Tuesday in the murder trial of Michele Williams, the Keller woman dubbed "The Black Widow" who is accused of killing her husband.

After entering and then retracting a guilty plea to deadly conduct and evidence tampering earlier this year, Michele Williams now faces a charge of murder in connection with the death of her husband, 40-year-old Gregory Williams, who died in October 2011.

Michele Williams originally told police her husband was killed by an intruder, but then changed her story to say she staged a break-in to cover up his suicide.

She then pleaded guilty to the deadly conduct charge, admitting she shot her husband, but then retracted the plea and said that poor representation led to her taking the deal and that she was not guilty.

Shortly before she was to be sentenced to 18 years in prison, she withdrew her guilty plea and was then charged with murder.

Defense attorneys for Williams continue to say Gregory Williams' death was a suicide and that the only reason she made up the story of the intruder was to protect their young daughter. They said she did not want her daughter to know that her father killed himself.

The defense said Greg Williams was using steroids he was not prescribed to use and was grieving the loss of a friend and relative that led to him taking his own life.

"Greg Williams experienced loss and grief, upon loss and grief, all while impaired by a highly dangerous drug," said defense attorney Clay Graham.

Investigators said both of the woman's accounts are lies and cite a report from the Tarrant County medical examiner that ruled Gregory Williams' death a homicide and not a suicide.

"The motive was money," said Tarrant County Deputy Chief District Attorney Jack Strickland in his opening statement to the court. "Age old money [and] greed."

Prosecutors said Gregory Williams had earned $850,000 the year before his death and that Michele Williams spent all that money.

Michele Williams 26-year-old son, Andrew O’Brien, was the first witness on the stand Tuesday. He said his mother had asked him to help her frame Gregory Williams' former wife for his murder. He went into detail about how his mother allegedly wanted to execute the plot by planting evidence in the ex-wife's car, then tipping police off and leading their investigation in that direction.

O'Brien testified that he did not act on what his mother wanted, and that he thought she was having a mental breakdown.

Prosecutors said Michele Williams tampered with Greg Williams' dead body and tried to make it appear as if an intruder broke into their house the evening he was killed.

The court will try and have the trial finished by Thursday. But depending on witness testimony and how long they take, it could go into next week.

NBC 5's Josh Ault and Johnny Archer contributed to this report.

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