Williams also told the inmate that 100 to 150 people were picking up drugs at the house every day and that Sparrow had stolen crack cocaine and 50 hits of heroin from him, which prompted the fight in the bathroom.
The inmate told investigators that Williams had discussed with several inmates his plan to poison his former housemates. One of the women had seen him enter the bathroom, where Sparrow was shooting up heroin, Wisthoff-Ito said.
"And he said, 'Ah, you know I'm going give you some pills or whatever and you can throw some rat poison or battery acid in it and he says, 'I don't ever have to worry about them coming to court," according to a transcript of the inmate's statement. "And now those were his exact words, 'Rat poison or battery acid and I'll never have to worry about them coming to court, whatever it takes.'"
In a letter, Williams also wrote to a man named "Big Irvin": "I need you to get word out telling everyone what these bitches are doing. ... Made a 16 page statement telling on everybody in Pigtown and Poe Homes!!! Holler at ... and tell her to either not appear in court or to change her story if she does. Get copies of the enclosed statements out on the streets."
Sean Coleman, Williams' defense attorney, said he was prepared to go to trial yesterday but that "after weighing the potential problems and evidence the state had, Mr. Williams made the decision on his own that this was a deal worth pursuing."
Wisthoff-Ito said that "the odds were that it could have gone either way," referring to a second trial. "I had multiple women scared to testify. Most don't want to be here ... and the previous jury had a hard time believing the women. Everyday people don't understand drug addiction."
Bernstein said Williams is facing an additional four years in prison for violating his probation in a minor drug case. The judge also sentenced Williams to five years' probation upon his release from prison in the murder case.
melissa.harris@baltsun.com
