Mom Kills Son Then Self on Mt. Diablo
Updated 1:27 PM PST, Thu, Jul 23, 2009
The bodies A Walnut Creek woman and her teenage son were found Friday night on top of Mount Diablo in a case that appears to be a murder-suicide, Contra Costa County sheriff's spokesman Jimmy Lee said.
A park ranger discovered the bodies of Judith Williams, 51, and her 16-year-old son Adam Williams at Lookout Point on top of Mount Diablo at about 10 p.m. Friday.
Investigators believe Judith Williams and her son had driven up the mountain earlier in the day and then hiked up the last stretch to Lookout Point.
Adam was a student at Lomas High School in Walnut Creek and played on the school's football team.
"He was the best kid you would want to have in your class and on your team," coach Andrew Scheiber told the San Jose Mercury News. "He never had a disparaging word, and was an all-around great kid."
Adam also played the saxophone.
There is a Facebook memorial page set up for the teenager and it is filled with comments from his friends.
They were there for several hours before Judith Williams apparently shot her son in the chest and the head and then shot herself in the head, according to the sheriff's office.
Investigators found a suicide note in Judith Williams' home, and the gun used in the shooting was registered to her, Terry said.
Earlier that day, Judith Williams had a dog put to sleep and had taken some cats to a shelter, Terry said.
"She had obviously thought about this for a while," Terry said.
Investigators were still trying to determine when Judith Williams bought the gun used in the shooting, but believe she may have bought it recently with the murder-suicide in mind, Terry said.
Judith Williams appeared to have been having some financial problems and was upset about issues in a relationship between her ex-husband, Adam's father, and his new wife.
A funeral will be held for Adam on Friday in Sacramento where his father lives.
Jim Williams, told the paper he moved to St. Louis after he divorced Adam's mom back in 1996.
He said he moved back to Northern California a couple years ago in part to be close to his son which he saw every other weekend.
Bay City New contributed to this report.
First Published: Jul 23, 2009 8:26 AM PST
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