Shraman Mitra
William Scott Mayfield, a father of three with a seemingly perfect marriage, was left devastated when his wife, Teresa Mayfield, was found murdered inside her car. Although William resorted to taking care of his children after Teresa’s death, a sudden breakthrough in the investigation soon made him the prime suspect. ‘Dateline: Secrets Uncovered: Secrets in a Small Town’ takes the viewer through the horrific murder and even follows the police investigation that led straight to William. Well, let’s delve into the details surrounding the case and find out where William is today, shall we?
Who Is William Scott Mayfield?
William Mayfield and his longtime wife, Teresa Mayfield, lived a normal life with their daughter and two sons in their Moundville, Alabama, home. While most onlookers believed the two had a perfect marriage, neighbors described them as a regular family who often participated in community events and went out on weekends together. Moreover, William was considered to be a just and likable family man who even worked two grueling jobs to put food on the table. However, little did anyone know about the sinister plot brewing behind closed doors. A thorough police investigation later discovered that even though William and Mary never aired their dirty laundry in public, their relationship was deteriorating fast.
Initially, the father of three just wanted a separation from his wife, and he was even having an affair with a different woman. However, once the children’s custody came into play, William realized that making Teresa disappear would be the perfect solution to his problems. Hence, he approached an infamous hitman and offered him around $15,000 to kill his wife. Incidentally, the hitman accepted the money but had no intention of going through with the contract. It made William even more frustrated, and he finally approached Kimberley Binion, aka Dawn Lavender, asking her to kill Teresa.
Dawn had a surprising method of going about her job as she initially befriended Teresa and slowly won her trust. As a matter of fact, Teresa’s trust in Dawn became so profound that she even agreed to accompany her on a girls’ night out without considering the circumstances. Later that night, Teresa’s daughter, Kelci, found her mother stumbling home as if in a complete trance. The family explained this as drunk behavior, although a police investigation later discovered that Teresa was drowsy as Dawn had spiked her drink with poison in a failed attempt to murder her.
With the initial murder attempt unsuccessful, Dawn took a direct approach and on June 14, 2007, called Teresa, claiming she was stuck on a remote dirt road in Moundville. Teresa immediately jumped into her car and drove to the spot where Dawn was waiting with a gun. Subsequently, the hired killer shot the mother of three in her car before putting the gun in a zip-loc bag and driving away.
William Scott Mayfield Remains Behind Bars
When the police found Teresa’s body inside her car, William appeared completely devastated and even broke down before the press. Moreover, he promised to be the best single father to his children and continued supporting them in every way. Meanwhile, the police carried out an investigation, but the case was in danger of going cold due to a lack of leads. Yet, a few months after the murder, a man approached authorities and claimed he was on the same dirt road on June 14 when he came across a rattlesnake on the ground. While he was deciding how to deal with the snake, a woman drove up in a car and offered him a gun, which was sealed in a zip-loc bag.
The man even identified the woman as Dawn Lavender, and when questioned, Dawn confessed to killing Teresa on William’s orders. Around the same time, the police also came across the first hitman who had taken money from William, and with enough evidence for a trial, they arrested Dawn and William before charging them with murder. Before William could be presented in court, he agreed to accept a deal, which saw him plead guilty to a charge each of murder and attempted murder. As a result, the judge sentenced him to two consecutive life sentences in 2011. Thus, at present, he remains behind bars at the Staton Correctional Facility in Elmore, Alabama, and will be eligible for parole in 2025.
Read More: Kimberly Binion aka Dawn Lavender: Where is the Killer Now?
