Killer Thinks He Got Away Until Wife Turns Him In

fall never arrives all at once first the air then the light and slowly the things you love begin to find each other a jacket meets a dress a hoodie slips beneath a blazer an old cap finds a new scarf because you don't simply step into the season you create it layer by layer until it finally feels like fall find fall your way at ross tammy regularly hauls stuff to her kids at college that's why she shops at bj's wholesale club saving up to 25 off grocery store prices beef jerky microwave meals laundry pods even they can't screw up have you met my kids and with bj's gas she gets there for less they call me the road warrior this is your home road warrior mom home of the save join for just 20 at bjs.com slash mesquite and save 10 cents per gallon for six months open soon limited time offer new members only bj's home of the save in the kitchen he picked me up by my throat and he held me up against the wall there was another time that he pinned me down in the bathroom and smashed my head into the floor there was one time i finally i hit him back and he lost it on me that night he punched me like a whole bunch of times like in my my legs and like my stomach he pinned me in the bedroom up against the dresser in the bed and like he choked me and he kept smacking me and i had bruises everywhere like i could barely move the next day i was so bruised up this is amanda nover she is recounting how her husband of 14 months abused her but she's holding back the whole truth i think your story is very accurate but i think you're leaving out something a few little parts in there amanda's confession revealed a shocking and callous crime james butler was a u.s navy veteran who served his country for 21 years he worked as an air traffic controller on the uss enterprise a carrier based in virginia at naval station norfolk the largest naval complex in the world james had been decorated with 10 medals and awards of achievement he had a big life for a baby that started out small he weighed just two pounds when he was born in 1970. in 2010 james retired from the navy and moved back to his hometown of rumney new hampshire to spend time with his mother who was battling cancer he would take her out to play darts on one of their outings cupid's arrow struck james he met michelle and it was love at first sight they dated for five years and married in 2015. three years later james and michelle decided to make their shared dream come true they moved into a trailer and hit the road with their three cats gizmo moana and chloe even though they were on the move the butlers kept in touch faithfully with their loved ones they had five adult children from previous relationships michelle had three sons and james had a son and a daughter in mid-october of 2019 james and michelle arrived on padre island texas this update to her facebook page on october the 15th to announce their arrival they were planning to head to new orleans next and then on to fort lauderdale where they would be managing a christmas tree farm padre island is the longest barrier island on earth it attracts vacationers to miles of white sandy beaches on a relatively undeveloped coastline known for its natural beauty and rich ecosystems the butlers set up camp at a desolate spot on the beach known as california at the end of the day the beach is known as the bowl about three miles south of bob hall pier the site is called the bowl because over time waves have carved a depression into the sand dunes james took this photo of michelle enjoying their view of the ocean it was one of the last happy moments they would enjoy before terror struck james and michelle couldn't have known that padre island would be their final stop they were about to cross paths with another married couple on a radically different journey on the afternoon of october the 16th michelle butler sent a text to a friend that was the last time anyone heard from the butlers their kids started getting worried when facetime calls went unanswered a week later on october the 23rd they filed a missing persons report with the clayburgh county sheriff's office police pinged the butler's phones and learned that they never left the bowl they started searching the beach for signs of a burial site on october the 27th police found a bra in the sand when they looked closer they saw a rib bone poking up they began to dig and unearth the body of michelle in a shallow grave in the sand near their last known campsite the following day they found james nearby investigators caught a break when they learned that a security camera at a toll booth at the mexican border had captured an image on october the 21st of an unidentified man and woman in the butler's 2018 silver chevrolet four-door pickup truck towing their cedar creek trailer they were in eagle pass texas and had crossed the border into piedras negras mexico the fugitives had a week-long head start on law enforcement they fled deep into mexico driving more than 700 miles to the state of jalisco they planned to keep heading south and eventually disappear into south america knowing they needed to act fast claburg county sheriff's office leaked the security camera photo of the couple on the run to the associated press newswire hoping it would be picked up by mexican media outlets and it was when the man in the surveillance photo attempted to sell the butler's trailer to the owner of an rv park he recognized him and contacted law enforcement sheriff kirkpatrick reached out to several colleagues from the u.s marshal service who he had known for years and made an urgent request hey i need a favor i know where this individual is and i need him captured and i don't care what you got to do to do it i don't care how you do it i just want him back in our custody the u.s marshals did not hesitate to act they had a team standing by in guadalajara the capital city of jalisco and they told the sheriff they would get him back in a couple of hours it wasn't long before sheriff kirkpatrick's phone had a message alert he opened it and the only thing he saw was a photo of adam williams handcuffed lying on the floor of the trailer the sheriff was elated he called it an unbelievable feeling the marshals had raided the rv park and had caught the couple by surprise they took them into custody without incident the peaceful capture of adam curtis williams and amanda louise nover was even more critical because they weren't traveling alone amanda's three-year-old daughter from a previous marriage was with them adam was separated from a man and her child and they were all flown back to houston after landing in the u.s adam was transported to clayburg county in the back of a police car it was a four and a half hour ride adam was under heavy guard and considered extremely dangerous although he had no qualms about inflicting extreme pain on other people he had no qualms about being held responsible for the others he felt entitled to complain that his handcuffs were uncomfortable there's no fingers anywhere in there can you stick your finger in between there bro i'm just gonna get the phone call this is what i'm doing what happened you won't loosen this up i've been sleeping in handcuffs it was close to 4 a.m on november the 7th when adam was finally processed into the clayburg county jail despite the early hour the media were there to question him why did you have their truck in their trailer where were you going did you know them at all why did you go to mexico where were you headed want me to put your wrongs up this is as up as they go okay i'm going to put it in the window 33 year old adam williams is a seasoned career criminal with a long rap sheet so when the rangers tried to interrogate him he knew enough to lawyer up and keep his mouth shut but he did take notice when texas ranger edward groves mentioned capital murder right sit right here we're here um obviously we you were arrested yesterday on the warrant and that warrants issued out of here um it's part of an ongoing uh capital murder investigation Or at least a homicide investigation where he had two bodies. So what I want to do today is I want to talk to you. I want you to tell me, because we know a bunch of facts about the case, but I've never met you before. I've never seen you. I want to know how you got to be in our investigation here today. So can you fill me in? I don't know your story. So can you tell me how we got here today? I got a question. Absolutely. Okay. Capital. That means death penalty, right? Well, so capital punishment is the death penalty. The case, we call it capital murder because in our Texas Code of Criminal Procedure and in our penal code, the way you make it to capital is a whole list of stuff. Because two people were killed in the same criminal incident, we believe they were killed in the same criminal event, then that would make it capital. Also because we think a robbery occurred at the time of the murder, that would make it capital. You're not being charged with that. You're charged with theft right now. But that's what the investigation is at this point. Obviously, we have a homicide that occurred, and we're solving that, and that's what I actually want to talk about. But right now, you're being charged with theft, and I need to know how you relate in the overall scheme of what happened. Does that make sense? Yeah. Okay. I'm not going to say anything without a lawyer. I need to talk to a lawyer. Okay. Do you have a lawyer that you already hired? No. Okay. So we'll have one appointed to you. The court system will appoint you one when we magistrate you this morning. Okay. I just want you to consider one thing. And we're not going to ask any questions, just so you'll know. But I know you've got a couple of more incidents and a couple of other things going on in your criminal history, and you've been to prison. So you're probably going back to prison. And I just want you to make some good decisions in your life when you talk to your attorney. Because the next time we talk, it's going to be post-indictment, and your attorney's going to be here and he's going to be representing us. And at that time, I want you to think about it. You're going to have to walk the yard in a prison somewhere. So I just want you to think about the way you handle yourself on this one. Is it going to be a guy who is. Who. Said, I don't know anything about it, and we had to prove a case against. There's a guy who said, you know what? And give yourself that credibility when you get there. I've considered all the options that's probably going to happen. And I just, for your sake, I want that to be one of your things you consider. Because you understand what it's going to have to be when you have to walk the yard again. The other thing you need to consider is how you approach this. It's probably going to affect Amanda's time in prison as well. So you need to think about that. All right. I appreciate you coming over here. We'll get you to head back over. Is there anything you need other than magistration, attorney? We're going to get you all that. Is there anything that you're not getting there? Are you on any kind of medication? I guess you got here late. You have to sleep and eat breakfast, I'm assuming. Yeah. No, I haven't been given any medications. Do you need medication? Yeah. What do you take medication for? I take Zyprexa as an antipsychotic at night. Okay, antipsychotic. It's important. It's Zyprexa? Zyprexa. Okay. Zyprexa. Okay. I take Gabapentin for seizures. Gabapentin for seizures. Okay. And I take Welbutrin. Welbutrin. And what is that for? For severe depression. For depression. PTSD. For PTSD. Are we in the military? Where's your PTSD from? No, the first time was my father committed suicide in front of me. Oh, man. I'm sorry to hear that. When I was 14. Oh, wow. And then in 2014. And then USP Victorville, California, my cellulite tried to kill me in my sleep. Oh, wow. Cut my face. I saw it. Slit my throat. Damn. Wow. Stabbed my stomach and stuff. You've had a rough life, brother. So, the reason I ask is I want to make sure you get what you need. So, I'll make sure that the jailers have this. We'll look into getting that to them. So, I think they may have to have a doctor evaluate. I'm not real sure on that process. I just want to make sure that we're not trying to pull any fast ones. We're not trying to fool you. We've got a job to do. You've got a job to do. I'm not trying to fool you. I'm not trying to fool you either. No. But I've got to have a lawyer. Absolutely. No, no. That's your right. Absolutely. And the next time we talk, your lawyer will have discussed it with you and we'll have an interview. Do you have any questions of me before we end this? All right, man. Appreciate it. Fall never arrives all at once. First the air, then the light. And slowly the things you love begin to find each other. A jacket meets a dress. A hoodie slips beneath a blazer. An old cap finds a new scarf. Because you don't simply step into the season. You create it layer by layer until it finally feels like fall. Find fall your way at Ross. It's your time. Let me see if these guys are ready. I don't know if we set it for the camera, but this is Investigator David Funnies of the Sheriff's Department, just in case. Ready? All right. Are you affiliated with any gang members, any crime group? Do we need to separate you from anybody else back there? No, I'm a dropout. A dropout from who? I was, like, starting to be with the California brand in Victorville. So the Aryan Brotherhood in California? Mm-hmm. Okay. Are you going to have a problem? I'm not concerned about your history. I'm just, are you going to have problems back here? I don't want you to get into a cell that's going to cause problems. We have more violence in our jail. Okay. I don't know. I don't know. We'll try and keep everybody's looks with me. Are you in the population right now? No, no, no. That's what I'm saying. We'll try and keep you separated so we don't have any issues with that. Are you in Gen Pop right now? No. Okay. So if you go to a prison, you could walk the yard? Or would they put you in SIG if you went to a prison right now? In the feds? Yeah. SIG. SIG. Okay. All right. Well, I appreciate your time. So in the federal system, he was classified as an Aryan Brotherhood in California. Unlike Adam, Amanda Nover was willing to cooperate and speak with him. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. I'm sorry. want you to first tell me, I want you to start, you are married to, what's your husband's name? Adam Williams. Adam Williams. It's Adam Curtis Williams, correct? Yes. Okay. Adam's also in custody, and you know that. You're arrested together. Okay, what I want you to start with, we need some history on you and Adam and your relationship, so can you start with when you first met him, and then we'll work our way forward, and I may have to stop getting out to get clarifications. Is that okay with you? Yes. Okay, so tell me about that. So, I first met Adam, actually, through Facebook. Facebook and POF, I don't know if you. Plenty of fish. Yes. And he sent me messages, and I seen his pictures, and he was covered in tattoos, and I was like, uh-uh, that guy's nothing but trouble, and so I ignored him for a long while, and then a friend of mine actually knew who he was, and said, oh, you know, I think he's a good dude. And so I talked to him, and like, the first message that I sent to Adam, like, he was persistent, and he was like, well, I want to meet you. And so the very, like, first day of us even talking, he ended up coming to my house in Smithfield. Like, he was so adamant about it, like, he's, that's his presence. He just says something, and you just, for some reason, you just give in. Like, and I didn't even know him, and I had a couple of friends at the house, though, and so I. I felt comfortable, and like, he came over, and I met him, and he's very, he's very, like, suave, I guess. He's very charismatic, and so all of his tattoos and everything, you kind of, like, see through all of that, and you see, like, this other person and everything, and so he actually came over with his cousin, and we actually, we all ended up hanging out, like, the entire time. And I made him dinner and everything, and we hung out, and he went home, and the next, like, few days, we talked off and on, and it just, we started to kind of, like, form a relationship, like. So, and I don't mean to interrupt, and I know we looked, we've looked into this. So, the time you're still married to your ex-husband, but you're separated at this time. So, about what, what time was that? What, what. Around the. The end of February. End of February of this year, of 2019. Yes. Okay, okay, so go ahead. So, you started forming a relationship. Yes. Okay. Um, and it, honestly, like, it just kind of, things moved quickly, it seemed. It, when we met, he had, like, this rule that he could see and date anybody he wanted, but I wasn't allowed to. Like, that. I guess came from spending as much time in prison as he did, but I didn't. How long was he in prison? Uh. 10 years is what I've been told, and I believe around about 10 years for selling marijuana. For selling marijuana, okay. And so it was kind of not the greatest in the beginning, because, like, he actually had another girlfriend when we met, and she knew about me, and I knew about her, and everything like that. And it wasn't until, like, a few months after him and I had been seeing each other that he decided that he wanted to be with just me, and he made that decision. Like, that was his choice to not, like, see any other women or sleep with any other women or anything like that, and came fully devoted to me. And then, I guess, because he did that, like, I don't know, maybe in a sense I felt like I. I owed him something, and he'd been asking me to move in with him, and I didn't want to, because I had my house, I had my space, I had my daughter, and my safe place, like. And that was extremely important to me, because all through our, like, dating time, Adam, even though, like, I don't know if he was allowed to drink or not, but he would get drunk, and he would black out, and when he'd black out, he'd get violent. Mm-hmm. And. Mm-hmm. He would turn into somebody completely different, just completely different, but when he sobered up, he'd be back to himself, and he wouldn't remember what happened. And so, me selling my home, that was, like, a really hard thing, but I'd been a stay-at-home mom for so long, and I had just split up with my husband, and I was basically living at Adam's, and still, because I had a trailer home, I was still paying my pad rent. And I didn't quite know how I was going to keep paying pad rent, you know, being a stay-at-home mom with no job, everything like that. And so, I sold my trailer, and I moved in with him, and that was, like, honestly, like, one of the first things that I regretted mostly, because I, that was my, my safe place. Amanda called Adam extremely rough around the edges, but insisted that he had a sweet side. Right. With a troubled past trying to do better, someone who wanted to be a better dad to her daughter. So, she made him a deal. His home only had one bedroom. If they could find a way for her daughter to have a bedroom at his place, she would move in with him. When he put up walls in the basement to create a room, she kept her part of the bargain. More than anything, Amanda wanted to stay home with her daughter. Adam said he was willing to take care of Amanda and her daughter financially. When they met, Adam was working at a chicken wings restaurant. The next day, he took a job at a bakery. Then, he landed an even better job. He did, like, expensive concrete floor work, and so he got a really good job. And it kind of, like, made me feel better because I had that, like, support. Mm-hmm. Because I'd been a stay-at-home mom since my daughter was born. And I just. I was used to that. Mm-hmm. And so, that was. That was comfortable. I still did the, like, the mom and the wife thing. Mm-hmm. And I think that that's what he was looking for was somebody to take care of him. Mm-hmm. You know, to cook him dinner every night, and I would get up and make him breakfast, and make him lunches, and do all those little things that I think that he never had. Okay. And so, I think that that meant. So much to him. But that was important to me to do those things because he went to work. Mm-hmm. And he did provide for. Like, you know, if we needed something, he would make sure of that. And so, that. I didn't. I didn't have a plan when me and my first husband separated. Like, I didn't have a plan. I didn't know what I was going to do. Mm-hmm. I knew I needed to get a job, and I needed to be able to support him. And then I met Adam, and it just kind of. It worked out. Like, I didn't have to change my life so much, if that makes sense. Like, I got to still be that stay-at-home mom and take care of him and do what I'm good at, and that's being a homemaker. Like, I'm great at it, and I love doing it. And so, that. That helped so much. Like. And I think that's another reason why I was so, like, drawn to the relationship, was because I didn't. It didn't change things for me. Like. You had to put her in daycare. You didn't have to go do all that stuff. Yeah, I didn't have to. And I didn't have to do, like, the 9-to-5 job, which, you know, I've. I've loved being a stay-at-home mom. I love my daughter more. I love her more than anything. And so. And I got that with Adam. I got to still be a stay-at-home mom. And so, it definitely, like, another, like, probably one of the biggest reasons why I just kind of really grasped the relationship, if that makes sense, you know? Okay. But their relationship was turbulent. Adam behaved violently towards Amanda many times, and Amanda's dog, Bella, just couldn't stand by watching. She would attack Adam when he beat her. Amanda detailed some of these violent incidents to Ranger Groves. Some of what she told him was too graphic for us to share here. Actually, I remember the actual first time that he smacked me. And that was before I sold my trailer, actually. And. It. We were at. My trailer at my house. And we had been drinking. I was in bed, and I. I was messaging somebody on my phone, and he took my phone from me and got upset about one of the messages. And, like, he smacked me. And, like, he threatened me and told me that he should freaking, like, make it so my face was unrecognizable. And it terrified me. And I honestly, like. I waited. Because he held me in the bedroom, and I waited until he kind of let his guard down. And I grabbed my daughter, and I. Because I lived in a trailer park, and I ran to my neighbor's house. And he still had my phone at that time. And, like, I was. I was terrified, but I didn't want the cops to come and arrest him, because, like, I knew his history, and I didn't want him to get in trouble. Like, he got upset over something that was on my phone. Once again. And he smashed my phone, and I went to go leave. And I made it out the front door, and he grabbed. And he shut the door, and he locked it. And I was standing outside, and I was screaming. I could hear her in there screaming. And. Like, because he knew I wouldn't leave my daughter. He knew that, like, nobody's going to leave their child. Not. No way. But. And I didn't have a phone. I didn't have my keys. I didn't have anything. And, once again, I didn't want him to get in trouble. Like, I knew that in the morning, when he sobered up, he'd be back to himself. And that he probably wouldn't remember these things. And so, you know, I. Of course, I waited at the door, and I banged on it, and he finally. Well, it was only, like, a minute, and he let me back in. And he tried to, like, calm the situation down. And I stayed. I didn't leave. Because, actually, he wouldn't let me leave. Uh. There was another time that I. There were a lot of times now that I'm actually thinking about it that I was going to leave. And. And this. This was before I had sold my trailer. But I was basically living with him. And. I'm not even sure what set him off. This, like, time he'd been drinking. But something I had said or done, or something on my phone. He's an extremely jealous person. Extremely set him off. And he, in the kitchen, he picked me up by my throat, and he held me up against the wall. And I was, like, kicking against him so hard because he was choking me. And when I kicked, my leg smashed into the stove. And I had a bruise, like, half of my thigh because of it. And. He let me down, finally. And. I sit here and I think back now that I'm talking about all of this. And it's, like. Wow. I don't -- I don't know why I love you. all of this like I don't know why why it seems that I only like ever got up the nerve to leave when like he would go crazy if that makes sense like there was another time that he pinned me down in the bathroom and smashed my head into the floor which I've heard rumors that he actually did that to his girlfriend Rachel which at the time like they were still dating too um there was one time I finally I hit him back and he lost it on me and instead of smacking me is what he called it because he never um he never punched me according to him but uh he lost it and actually that night he punched me like a whole bunch of times like in my my legs and like my stomach not in my chest or my face or anything like that and that was once another time I don't know what I did to set him off but he pinned me in the bedroom up against the dresser in the bed and like he choked me and he kept smacking me and I had bruises everywhere like I could barely move the next day I was so bruised up and I remember like telling myself like hey like I'm done like this that's the last time but that wasn't the last time. Now the Butlers were a happy and carefree couple on their cross-country adventure Adam and Amanda were in an extremely different situation they were troubled broke and running out of options the newlyweds went on the run just two days after their marriage six weeks earlier. He picked up the assault charges um did you know when they became warrants or did he know that when he was wanted um. In regards to the assault charges I don't know when they became warrants or did he know that when he was wanted um. In regards to the most recent assaults when the officers came and tased him and he fought back yes because the day we got married we didn't do a wedding or anything we had a few friends over to the house and um we just signed our marriage certificate and then took it he actually so I had to go to the house and I had to go to the house. In regards to the most recent assault charges when the officers came and tased him and he fought back yes because the day we got married we didn't do a wedding or anything we had a few friends over to the house. Like and literally as he's coming back he sees that there's cops outside the house and he turns around and drives off and so we got married on August 29th and that's when the officers came in regards to like that assault they attacked on a new assault and that's what they were there to pick him up on and that was a first degree assault. about the nine millimeter pistol he used to shoot the butlers in their heads but then she came clean after the couple arrived in Texas they had attended a gun show in Corpus Christi every seller turned them down because Amanda had an out-of-state ID until they got to the last person at the venue he agreed to sell them a gun and ammunition okay now when he said he was going to buy a gun what do you tell you what was it been for because if he got stopped by the cops he didn't want he didn't want to be arrested he said that he'd never go back to prison and so his plan was to shoot it out and I was terrified because all I could think of was what about Mike what are you gonna do an officer comes up and you're gonna pull a gun and then fire and then they're gonna return fire and I are gonna be like now that Ranger Groves had gathered background information from Amanda on how she had met Adam Williams and had covered the sequence of events that led them to Texas he pressed her to recount the details of the crime we get to the laundromat and Adam says that he found a new truck and trailer because our truck was literally dying like it it the motor was blowing up on it it was and so I was like okay what do you mean and he was very vague and he's just like well I know where a new truck and trailer is and like you don't need to worry about it and I didn't I don't quite understand you know what I mean like later so we're there and like I didn't press the matter or say anything else about him saying about a new truck and trailer and then he says well I'm gonna unhook our trailer and we're gonna go for it and you're gonna drop me off and I asked this is why and he's like well I need to go pick up the new truck and trailer and I'm thinking what in the hell no I didn't think that Adam had done anything bad that night they went to the truck and trailer and I asked why and he's like well I need to go pick up the new truck and trailer and I'm thinking what in the hell no I didn't think that Adam had done anything bad that night they went to the truck and trailer and I'm thinking what in the hell no I didn't think that Adam had done anything bad that night they went back to the beach Adam that night they went back to the beach Adam that night they went back to the beach Adam told Amanda to wait nearby their told Amanda to wait nearby their told Amanda to wait nearby their vehicle while he went to get the truck vehicle while he went to get the truck vehicle while he went to get the truck and trailer that he had chosen to be and trailer that he had chosen to be and trailer that he had chosen to be their home for the next leg of their their home for the next leg of their their home for the next leg of their journey I didn't know what was going on journey I didn't know what was going on journey I didn't know what was going on and I was scared like because why you and I was scared like because why you obviously there's not just gonna be a truck and trailer sitting there that you purchased if that makes sense did you think he was gonna steal one? I did 100% okay that I am I'm guilty of but I wouldn't be able to stop him from anything and just like just because when you said you stopped he said you stopped and you stayed there for a minute so I dropped him off hang on just a minute because when you said that I can see you playing it back in your mind and something bothered you about when you stopped there for a minute tell me what that is I had a bad feeling okay like just a where did he go when he got out of the truck down the beach to the water to the dunes he walked up and then he walked down and I remember when I because I drove down there were there was like the truck and trailer that we ended up with back like and everything was dark and like he couldn't even like see it very well but I drove past it and there's no lights on it mm-hmm okay no hey that's why I didn't think so much about it and that's why I didn't think that anybody had gotten hurt does that make sense like because I mean it wasn't it wasn't super late it was like 8 o'clock 9 o'clock or something I don't know but that's my assumption is that it was around that time and so I'm fine where do you do so I drive down and I turn around and I'm sitting there and I'm just I'm waiting I'm thinking and sure enough like because the truck it wasn't hooked up to the trailer like the one that we ended up with they weren't hooked up and I was kind of watching him and sure enough like he hooks the truck up and he pulls out and I'm thinking like holy shit like he's freaking he's stealing somebody's freaking truck and trailer like and so I sat there and I and then I followed him and he just for a minute hey just for a minute yes when you took him to go down there did he have a gun with him when I took him to go get the truck and trailer I don't know okay that I I really don't know that's fine when you for the time you dropped him off until the time you saw him hook up the trailer how much how much time was it not long like 15 20 minutes not long at all they returned to the 24-hour laundromat where they had been loitering when they had nowhere else to go Amanda drove the truck and trailer while Adam drove the butler's rig when they arrived Amanda noticed that Adams mood had changed he was upbeat and kept urging her to cheer up because their situation had improved he was being nice actually and he's like come on like this trailer is nice we won't have to live in that little thing anymore like and it was it was so nice and like so it's like just a minute yes what was the first time you got in the new trailer at the laundromat yes did you notice anything about it about the trailer okay did you notice blood or no nothing nothing like that the only thing that I thought like the the bedroom like all of the bedding was completely gone and like there was a cat in there and so it it smelled like cat but uh like because the trailer had been moved without things being put in places it was it was a mess in there at the laundromat they removed James and Michelle's belongings from the trailer they took their clothes inside and put them into washing machines and closed the doors but didn't turn them on they tossed the rest of the butler's stuff into a dumpster behind the laundromat the only cat still left in the trailer ran out and disappeared it's not known what happened to the cat or the other two that had been traveling with the butlers Adam and Amanda abandoned their own broken down truck and dilapidated trailer in the laundromat's parking lot and drove off Amanda had already provided Texas Ranger Groves with a lot of money for the trailer and it was a lot of money for the trailer and it was a lot of information up to this point in the interview she was talkative but it didn't escape his attention that she had skipped over the most important part of the story what had happened to the butlers thank you for telling me this I think your story is very accurate but I think you're leaving out something a few little parts in there and here's here's what I don't want you to do I don't want you to leave out parts because one you think we're going to think poorly of you or because you don't want to get in trouble because the only way this works is if you tell me a hundred percent of the truth and you know the part we're missing okay so so what I want to do is I want you to think very carefully because it isn't exactly what happened when you dropped them off the beach it's a little bit different okay you want to talk about that you want to come back to that you're is the deal. We have to have 100% honesty. I know. No, I know. And I'm not going to thank less of you. We understand it was a very bad situation. We understand it was very bad. But your story is very, very detailed, very accurate until we get to that part. And I know that's why. Is there any chance that we can take one more break? Let's take another break. One more smoke? Absolutely. So let's go ahead and stop at 2.47 a.m. After a cigarette break, Amanda laid out in more disturbing detail what had happened on the beach leading up to Adam stealing the butler's truck and trailer. So when I dropped him off to pick up the truck and trailer that he said he had found and everything was dark. I like I did drive down and I came back and I parked and like I know that he removed some things from the trailer. I don't know what. Like, I do know that. Like, my assumption it was because honestly, my main concern was. Like, but I thinking like the bedding, like that type of stuff. Like, I honestly, truthfully, I didn't ever see anything. And that's like, I swear on my daughter's life. Let's talk about he removed something. Okay. So how far away are you parked? So the trailer is right here. And then there that like the other truck is right there. And then I'm parked down. Could he see you? Yeah. So he knew you were there? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So he's not trying to hide from you. What are you doing? Uh, I don't think so. No. Okay. And in your mind, you're trying to not see what you're seeing at this point. In my mind, I'm not trying to see anything, honestly. And I So you said he removed something from the trailer? Yes. When you say you remove something, is he carrying a box? Is he driving? Yes. Is he driving? dragging something? Did he have something over his shoulder? Honestly, it looked like he was dragging something. Okay. Now, if I'm dragging, if I'm dragging a towel, that's one thing. If I'm dragging. Oh, it was, like, that's why I'm thinking, like, the bedding and everything, because it was bigger. Was it heavy? I think so. Okay. Okay. In your mind, you know what he was dragging, right? When I look back now, yeah. What's he dragging? I think he was dragging one of them. Okay. Okay. We know that, too. We just, I just, in your mind, you're blocking out what he's dragging. He's dragging a body out of there. Okay. All right, Amanda, let's talk about what happens next. And it's going to be important to me. He drags whatever he's dragging out, and then where does he go? Goes up. In the dark. Up, you mean? Like, up in the dunes. In the dunes. Mm-hmm. Okay. And then what do you see? Honestly, I stopped, like, looking. Okay. I, I stopped. So do you think, because you're, you're an intelligent person, you're a good person, you're like, oh, shit, he just killed these people? You're blocking this out, I don't want to see anymore? Did he tell you to wait for him while I go do this? Did you know he was going to? I don't, I don't, honestly, I, I don't, I think that he didn't kill them while I was there. Okay. To be honest, like, I. Were you close enough you think you would have heard him shoot him if he had shot them? Yeah. Okay. Because, I mean, that, it's loud. Okay. Like, because he, when we got the gun, he fired off one round to make sure, like, that it worked, and it was so loud. And so, I don't, that's why I. Okay. I didn't think, like, I, I mean, I. Looking back on it, that's what you think he was doing, was taking the body out of the trailer. How long was he gone from the time he dragged it up? You said into the dunes? Mm-hmm. So how long was he gone from the time he dragged it up? Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. So how long was he up into the dunes until you saw him again? I don't know, because I. No, so here's the difference. No, no, no, like, I, I wouldn't look. No, so I'm not asking you to tell me, like, he was gone a minute and 42 seconds. I want to know, was he gone long enough that he just walked up there and walked back? No. Or was he gone for a while, and then he came back? It had to have been a while. Did he make multiple trips? Yeah. To the dunes? Yes. What did you see him carrying? Uh. You saw something important in your mind right now. I, I didn't, no, no, no, I didn't. It was similar to the first thing. Okay. Like, I didn't. So he's dragging the second thing? Mm-hmm. Does he make a trip after that? Well, uh, he hooks the truck up. Does he make a trip to the dunes? Does he go back and forth another time after he takes the two of them, the two whatevers you took? After the two, no. Do you see anything else in his hands? No. Not that I. First the air, then the light, and slowly the things you love begin to find each other. A jacket meets a dress, a hoodie slips beneath a blazer, an old cap finds a new scarf. Because you don't simply step into the season, you create it layer by layer until it finally feels like fall. I can remember because honestly, like, I didn't. Someone ask you about it? I didn't want to look. Now the situation had darkened for Amanda. She was no longer just accompanying a fugitive on parole who went on the run to escape warrants. She had become an accomplice to two ruthless murders. Texas Ranger Groves wanted to know what had happened in the aftermath. So you unload the stuff. What does he tell you? So. I. I understand you're scared of him, but there is some sort of conversation because he has now upped the ante on what y'all are doing wrong. So tell me about it. He doesn't really say much. But you. you ask him about it. And he says that he did what he had to do. Okay. To get us a new truck. Okay. And that's it. Okay. And I don't know what to do. Like, I don't. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to say. I don't. Okay. Where do y'all go? We go somewhere else still in Texas. Okay. I don't know where. I've. Honestly, like, I was never in charge of, like, where we went. It's interesting to note that although Adam was willing to take whatever he wanted from other people without any remorse, he wasn't so freewheeling when it came to others taking from him. In this jailhouse surveillance footage following his arrest, his temper flared as he yelled at another inmate over $27 apparently owed to him for commissary purchases. Huh? I gave you $27. I gave you $27. I made it back, two beans, one coffee, stuff, can and rolls. I paid you and that was $20. Then I gave you $7 of soup. That's $27. That's 42 G's. Like, I didn't fuck it over. I gave you $20 and I gave you $7 of soup. I don't know how I'm going to do good business. There's never no fucking time in the year for that. I gave you a med bag, $6.50. I gave you a can cup, $6.00. $6.00 is cool. I gave you a coffee, $4.90. I gave you a pair of socks, it's already dry. I gave you a free dry beach. I gave you a full seat. I gave you a handkerchief. I gave you a present and I gave you a ticket. It's too quick. I don't need your shit. I'm fucking fucking mad at you. Yeah. Hey, hey, what are you telling me you're fucking mad at me now? I promise you, I promise you on my life. I'm fucking mad at you. Are you serious? I'm serious. I'm serious. I don't care. I don't care. After arresting Adam and Amanda, investigators found the 9mm pistol used to kill the Butlers hidden in the RV. The ammunition was hidden in the ceiling. They also found blood stains inside the trailer that matched Michelle Butler. Prosecutors were initially planning on seeking the death penalty for her. Adam Williams, but they offered him a deal. In November of 2021, he pled guilty to capital murder, tampering with evidence, unlawful use of a firearm by a felon, and theft. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. As soon as Adam Williams was convicted, Clayburg County Sheriff Kirkpatrick called the governor's office and the Texas Bureau of Prisons, imploring them to get him out of the Clayburg County Jail immediately. He wanted Adam moved to a high-security prison before he could hurt someone else. The sheriff had spent many sleepless nights worrying that Adam was going to kill one of his guards. Just a few days after being sentenced, the sheriff got his wish, and Adam was relocated. In February of 2022, Amanda Nover Williams pled guilty to two counts of first-degree murder, tampering with evidence, unlawful possession of a firearm, and theft. She was sentenced to 20 years for the murders, 10 years each for the other charges. Because the sentences are running concurrently, her total sentence is 20 years. Amanda's lack of a significant criminal history and the fact that she didn't pull the trigger were cited by prosecutors as factors that weighed into the decision for a shorter sentence. A jacket meets a dress, a hoodie slips beneath a blazer. You create it, layer by layer, until it finally feels like fall. Hank joined BJ's Wholesale Club the day he became a father of 30. I coach football. Now Coach Hank saves up to 25% off grocery store prices, 30 pounds of pasta, three cases of protein bars, 75 sports drinks. And that's just pregame. He knows teamwork, and BJ's knows savings. This is your home, coach. Home of the Save. Join for just $20 at bjs.com slash mesquite and save 10 cents per gallon for six months. Open soon. Limited time offer, new members only. BJ's, home of the save.