Shivangi Sinha
In April 2016, Tricia Todd disappeared without a trace. Recently divorced, she resided in Hobe Sound, Martin County, Florida, and shared a 2-year-old daughter with her ex-husband, Steven Williams. As days passed without any trace of Tricia, suspicion turned towards Steven. Approximately a month later, he confessed to her murder. ABC’s ’20/20′ episode, ‘The Hungryland Homicide,’ delves into the gruesome details of the murder, which Steven gradually revealed to the police, as well as the subsequent trial that resulted in his conviction.
Steven Williams Gave False Details About His Wife’s Murder
Steven I. Williams, born on October 13, 1986, enjoyed a typical upbringing. His father, James Williams, held high hopes for his son’s future, believing he would become responsible. Steven enlisted in the Air Force in 2004 and was stationed in Lackland, Texas. There, he crossed paths with Patricia Gayle “Tricia” Todd, who worked as a nurse for Treasure Coast Hospice. Their connection blossomed into love, and they exchanged vows on February 4, 2005.
Despite appearances of a tranquil marriage, Tricia’s relationship with Steven was tumultuous. Tricia often chronicled the highs and lows of their marriage, including their struggles with conceiving a child, in an online journal. In a 2009 entry, she made allegations that Steven had killed one of her kittens, leading her to leave him. However, just two months later, she revealed that Steven had found solace in religion and had transformed his life, prompting their reconciliation.
By 2016, the couple’s relationship had again hit a rough patch. On February 2, 2016, Tricia finalized her divorce from Steven and agreed to the joint custody of their two-year-old daughter, Faith. Steven was honorably discharged from active duty in 2008 and resided in North Carolina by this time. He had achieved the rank of sergeant and was stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, working as a field training detachment instructor. Following the divorce, he frequently traveled to Hobe Sound in Martin County, Florida, where his ex-wife and daughter resided, to spend time with Faith.
Steven was present in town during Tricia’s disappearance on April 26, 2016. He informed officers that Tricia had dropped off their daughter, Faith, at the Airbnb where he was staying and was expected to return to pick her up but failed to do so. Concerns voiced by Tricia’s friends and family regarding Steven’s potential involvement led the police to question him. On May 25, 2016, after multiple rounds of interrogation, Steven confessed to the police that he and Tricia had engaged in a heated argument, during which he pushed her down the stairs, resulting in her death. He claimed he panicked and, fearing arrest for murder, disposed of her body but couldn’t recall the location where he had done so.
The authorities suspected that there was more to Steven’s narrative than he had revealed. He was charged with murder and detained in a prison in Orlando, Florida. In exchange for a plea deal, the police offered him the opportunity to disclose Tricia’s whereabouts, which he accepted. Steven then confessed to the police that he had harbored intentions of killing his wife for some time because he wanted to avoid paying child support and gain full custody of their daughter. He admitted that he had contemplated killing Tricia throughout the day on April 26 but had become nervous.
After Tricia left the Airbnb, he called her, told her that Faith was not doing too well, and asked her to return. Once she was back, he strangled her, and she fell unconscious. He waited for her to wake up to get her email and password so that he could tell her family that she was flying to Haiti. When Tricia woke up, she started screaming, and Steven hit her with a club and strangled her to death. His 2-year-old daughter was in the other room all the while. He admitted that he had taken her body to the Hungryland Wildlife Preserve, where he had already dug a hole. The hole was fitted with a plastic tub filled with acid, and he dismembered Tricia’s body using a chainsaw and dumped it there.
Steven Williams is Serving His Sentence Today
Steven Williams faced charges of one count of second-degree murder and one count of child neglect. As part of his plea deal, he received a 35-year sentence on September 30, 2016. Additionally, he faced consequences for possessing contraband a few months after his arrest. Currently, he is serving his sentence at the Jefferson Correctional Institution in Florida. At 38 years old, his projected release date is set for 2049.
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