Death Threats Police Investigation

(Investigation by Denver Police homicide detective Joel Humphrey with help from the Arvada Police Department, see APD Case #07-2553. Williams was picked up for a mental health hold by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department.)

VICTIM 3, employed as a master plumber with the well-established Benjamin Franklin Plumbing company, realized the mortgage fraud that Williams was committing “supposedly on my behalf” to purchase a property for 50% over its apparent value. Williams/Sky had repeatedly attempted to sell by way of mortgage fraud a home located in Highlands Ranch, Colorado,  elsewhere on this site referred to as the the “Wynspire property”. Two days before the scheduled closing, VICTIM 3 backed out of the deal. Williams began to berate VICTIM 3 and informed the victim that Williams had purchased a gun the day before. This was truthful; he had actually just purchased a gun. Williams indicated that he had put $4,000 of his own money as down payment toward the purchase of this house (that was part of the mortgage fraud) so if VICTIM 3 backed out, he claimed, the victim would be robbing Williams of that $4,000. VICTIM 3 says that at this point Williams threatened to kill both VICTIM 3 and VICTIM 3’s spouse. Local law enforcement picked up Williams for this and other death threats that Williams made including in statements to VICTIM 5, and VICTIM 4, described here in other Death Threats posts.

Other Examples of Intimidation

• In January 2007 at Downing St in Denver, in front of his then wife, and VICTIM 2, and another witness, Williams threatened to smash the victim’s car, and ran off toward the parking garage. Williams’ wife said, “I’ll go stop him,” and ran off after him.
• In the fall of 2006, Williams held a gun in his car at the same Denver address toward a pedestrian who he had a minor confrontation with.
• In February 2007, Williams has indicated suicidal, and homicidal, tendencies. Also, on Feb. 5, 2007 at an evening meeting regarding William’s real estate dealings at Coors Way, in Arvada CO, once again those around him reasonably feared that Williams would get a gun and start shooting people.

Death Threats Against those Revealing Fraud

• On Feb. 5, 2007, VICTIM 4 and VICTIM 5 were discussing the very difficult circumstances of exposing Williams’ real estate fraud and its aftermath, when Williams ran to the front door in anger, screaming that he’s going to start killing people.
• On Feb. 6, 2007, Williams issued a threat to VICTIM 4, that his real estate problems would only be solved through bloodshed, or if VICTIM 6 gives $34,000 to Williams. At this point, the various police jurisdictions began to work together to intervene. Williams later agreed to a family negotiated out-of-court settlement to stop the Yosemite HOA and VICTIM 1 and VICTIM 2, from suing Williams, and so he gave a cashier’s check of $30,000 to VICTIM 2 the newly appointed HOA president, who deposited that check with then Treasurer of the Yosemite Street Condominiums HOA into a newly created HOA account to go toward repairs of property damaged by Williams, to replace a boiler, repair the electrical system and pay off an Xcel energy lien. Williams later regretted giving those funds, and has demanded return of the $30,000 plus $3,200 from a previous agreement that he also now regrets, rounding up the amount demanded to $34,000.

VICTIM 3 Death Threat Particulars

• VICTIM 3 indicates that Williams told them he had just purchased a gun, and then Williams “threatened to kill us… He threatened to put a hole in our heads, and he said that to me and [my spouse].”
• VICTIM 2 recounts the story of Williams asking the Hispanic laborers at the Yosemite Street Condominium complex, “How much do you want to kill VICTIM 3?” to which one of the two replied, “We’ll shoot him for $1,000.” Williams continued, “No, not shoot him. Kill him!” And Williams added, “You can use my gun, it has a scope on it.” VICTIM 2 indicates that he repeatedly urged Williams to “shut up,” hoping he was joking.
• VICTIM 2, eventually the duly elected president of the Yosemite HOA, was happy to get contact information for VICTIM 3, and wanted to meet the victim, to conduct HOA business, since VICTIM 3 was also a property owner of a distressed unit in the Yosemite Street Condominium complex at risk of foreclosure. However, VICTIM 3’s spouse was so fearful from the threat, that she urged VICTIM 3 not to meet VICTIM 2, fearing it was just a trap for Williams to kill VICTIM 3.
• CLIENT W.D recounts that in the fall of 2006, Williams repeatedly stated that if VICTIM 3 shows up at William’s property, Williams would kill him. These statements were apparently made repeatedly in front of several witnesses.

Complainant Learns of Death Threat

Looking into the impropriety of William’s real estate deals, this complainant contacted VICTIM 3, and was told the story of this death threat. When the complainant shared this story separately with two of Williams’ other clients, they both added their own, credible accounts of Williams threatening to kill VICTIM 3. These clients are VICTIM 2, and CLIENT W.D, who purchased a HUD property in Jan. 2007 with Williams as his Realtor. With that corroborating evidence, the complainant urged VICTIM 3 to report this death threat to the police, which the victim did, which began an investigation by Denver Police homicide detective Joel Humphrey. Detective Humphrey has interviewed CLIENT W.D and that client’s spouse, VICTIM 3, VICTIM 2, Shaun Williams, and it is believed, William’s then wife. Det. Humphrey successfully brought his concern to other local jurisdictions, resulting in Williams being picked up by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department for a mental health hold, and Arvada Police officer J. Hotchkiss, taking the matter seriously and taking a report of other threats issued in Arvada.