Condemned Tyler Man Loses at Supreme Court

HOUSTON (AP/Staff) – A Tyler man on death row for the slaying of a 93-year-old woman a decade ago at her home in Tyler has lost an appeal at the U.S. Supreme Court. The justices Monday, without comment, refused to review the case of 31-year-old Clifton Lamar Williams. Williams was condemned for the July 2005 beating, strangling, and stabbing of Cecelia Schneider. Her body was set on fire and her car and purse containing $40 were stolen. DNA and fingerprint evidence linked Williams to her slaying. Prosecutors said he used the money to buy crack cocaine. Appeals lawyers contended Williams had deficient legal help at his 2006 Smith County trial and that he was mentally impaired, making him ineligible for the death penalty. Williams doesn’t yet have an execution date.