Who Is Stanley Williams? Age, Biography, and Wiki
Stanley Williams, famously known as "Tookie," was born on December 29, 1953. He passed away on December 13, 2005, at the age of 51. Williams is primarily known as a co-founder of the Crips gang in Los Angeles, a notorious organization that has had significant implications on urban crime and culture in America. Williams later became an author and peace activist, advocating against gang violence while on death row.
| Occupation | Activists |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | December 29, 1953 |
| Age | 51 Years |
| Birth Place | Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Capricorn |
| Country | U.S |
| Date of death | 13 December, 2005 |
| Died Place | San Quentin State Prison, San Quentin, California, U.S. |
Popularity
Stanley Williams's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
While Stanley Williams's specific height and weight are not well-documented, he was noted for having a strong physique during his younger years. As a public figure associated with street culture, he likely maintained a fit appearance typical of his environment.
Witnesses described the mood in the execution chamber as somber, and Williams showed no resistance as he was led into the execution chamber. After Williams was strapped to the gurney, he struggled against the straps holding him down to look up at the press gallery behind him, and to exchange glances with his supporters.
Williams's advocate and editor Barbara Becnel was also a witness to his execution.
In the epilogue of Williams's reprinted memoir, Blue Rage, Black Redemption, Becnel reported that prior to Williams's arrival in the death chamber, he had promised her that "he would find a way to lift his head and smile at me at some point during his execution, no matter what was being done to him.
And that is exactly what he did." Williams then rested his head on the gurney while medical technicians began inserting needles in his veins although CNN reported the staff had difficulty inserting the needles and the usually short process took almost 20 minutes.
Contra Costa Times reporter John Simerman added, "They had some trouble with the second I.V., which was in the left arm… Williams, at one point, grimaced or looked almost out of frustration…at the difficulty there…He had his glasses on the whole time.
He kept them on, and he kept looking…" With a look of frustration on his face, Williams angrily asked the technicians, "You guys doing that right?" A female guard whispered to him, and a second guard patted Williams's shoulder as if to comfort him. Williams shed one silent tear but otherwise showed no emotion as he was executed.
Members of Albert Owens' family who witnessed the execution were described as stony-faced; however, Lora Owens appeared very upset, according to MSNBC anchor Rita Cosby.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Stanley Williams was known to have had multiple relationships throughout his life. He was notably engaged to be married at the time of his imprisonment. Much of his family remained private, although it is known that he had strong ties with his children, who have spoken about their father's efforts to change his life post-gang involvement.
He was christened Stanley Tookie Williams III but was usually called by his middle name Tookie (pronounced ). His father abandoned the family when Williams was one year old. In 1959, Williams moved with his mother, Louisiana Williams, to Los Angeles, California, and settled in the city's South Central area.
Net Worth and Salary
At the time of his death, Stanley Williams had a complex financial situation. While details surrounding his net worth remain unclear, his later years involved earning income through book sales, public speaking engagements, and advocacy against gang violence, which all contributed to a modest income. Following his execution, the legal and financial repercussions of his past activities overshadowed the earnings from his literary and advocacy work.
* "The possible irregularities in Williams' trial have been thoroughly and carefully reviewed by the courts, and there is no reason to disturb the judicial decisions that uphold the jury's decisions that he is guilty of these four murders and should pay with his life."
Career, Business and Investments
Stanley Williams's career trajectory is notably controversial. After co-founding the Crips in the 1970s, his life took a drastic turn when he was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. While imprisoned, he reinvented himself as a writer and activist, penning several books aimed at guiding youth away from gang culture. His notable works include Life in Prison and Blue Rage, Black Redemption. In addition to his writing, Williams engaged in various prison programs and advocacy efforts, pushing for awareness on gang violence and rehabilitation.
In 1976, Williams was wounded in a drive-by shooting while sitting on the porch of his house in Compton. The shooting was committed by members of the Bloods, who shot at Williams from their car as he was letting his dog out for a walk in the evening.
Attempting to avoid getting hit, Williams dove to the ground from the porch, but was shot in both of his legs. Williams was told by doctors that he would never walk again, but after a nearly year-long process of physical rehabilitation and an intense workout regimen, he ultimately regained his ability to walk.
After the shooting, Williams re-developed a substance abuse problem when he began smoking PCP.
Williams had begun dabbling in street drugs around the age of twelve, and as a preteen befriended a neighborhood pimp who, in return for performing errands for him, would reward Williams with money and drugs, particularly Quaaludes, barbiturates (then known as "Red Devils") or marijuana.
Williams' personal life began to unravel; his maternal grandmother, with whom he was very close, died in 1976. He lost his counseling job in 1977 after being implicated in a robbery that was committed by two youths from a group home that Williams supervised.
He was denied an opportunity to compete in an amateur bodybuilding contest after it was discovered that he was a gang leader (Williams would later appear on the popular 1970s NBC game show The Gong Show, performing a posedown routine).
Eventually his gangster lifestyle was beginning to take a mental toll on him, which included a brief stay in the psychiatric ward of a hospital after Williams experienced a bad trip while high on PCP.
With each of these setbacks Williams increasingly found himself using PCP and supported his drug habit by intimidating and robbing drug dealers in South Central.
Social Network
Despite his controversial past, Stanley Williams was active in various social networks, particularly focused on issues surrounding incarceration and gang violence. His writings and public statements have significantly influenced social movements aimed at reducing gang crime. Williams's outreach extended beyond traditional platforms, using his prison writings to connect with youth and communities at risk.
The prosecution had removed three black people from serving as jurors in Williams' trial. Williams' lawyers claimed that he was convicted by a jury that had no African-Americans, one Latino, one Filipino-American, and 10 White Americans.
The District Attorney provided proof, however, in the form of a death certificate and the affidavit of another juror, that juror #12, William James McLurkin, was black. The defense responded that, contrary to the affidavit, McLurkin did not appear black.
They maintain that the trial record indicates that "none of the lawyers, and particularly the prosecutor, thought Mr. McLurkin was black", according to additional evidence in a November 2005 petition for clemency.
According to the clemency petition, in his closing arguments, prosecuting District Attorney Robert Martin described Williams as a "Bengal tiger in captivity in a zoo" and said that the jury needed to imagine him in his natural "habitat", which was like "going into the back country, into the hinterlands." In a radio interview, Martin insisted that t
he analogy was not meant to be racial, and instead was a metaphor to the fact that Williams appeared in court dressed in business attire much like an animal in a zoo appears more docile than it would be in the wild.
In the Court of Appeal summary of the case, Williams stated that various jurors misconstrued as a threat a question that he asked defense counsel at the close of the guilt phase.
The trial record shows that after the jurors returned their guilty verdicts, Williams said, "Sons of bitches" in a voice sufficiently loud that the court reporter included it in the trial transcript. On the day that the jury began its penalty-phase deliberations, an alternate juror reported to the bailiff that he was going to get all of them.
Three separate alternate jurors denied hearing Williams make such a comment to the judge.
Education
Stanley Williams did not complete a traditional education, as his life took a different path early on. However, during his time in prison, he used his experiences to educate himself and others. He became an avid reader and writer, pursuing knowledge that would allow him to speak effectively on the topics of rehabilitation and violence reduction.
As teenager, Williams had already earned a reputation in South Central's West Side as a vicious street fighter. Williams was expelled from George Washington Preparatory High School and denied entry by several other high schools in the South Central area because he was "intimidating".
