COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A Columbus man was convicted of killing three people and ordering others to dismember and bury two of the bodies as part of a drug conspiracy.
Larry J. “J Streets” Williams Jr., 43, was found guilty of 16 charges including murder, robbery and drug distribution. The federal jury returned its verdict Tuesday after a three-week trial.
Court records state Williams was the leader of a narcotics conspiracy in 2018 set up to rob a local marijuana dealer of drugs and money, which led to one person being shot dead.
According to United States Attorney Kenneth L. Parker of the Southern District of Ohio, in an effort to cover up the murder, Williams killed another man and a woman who knew about the first killing.
The 16 charges Williams was found guilty of are:
- Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances
- Murder related to drug trafficking crime
- Robbery
- Three counts of murder related to crime of violence
- Conspiracy to destroy evidence
- Two counts of murder of a witness
- Obstruction of justice
- Conspiracy to obstruct justice
- Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin
- Possession with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin
- Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
- Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl
- Distribution of cocaine
Court records state that Williams drafted other people into his plan to learn about potential drug traffickers the group could rob for drugs and cash.
On June 27, 2018, Williams and others robbed a drug house on the 800 block of East North Broadway, where Williams murdered Connor Reynolds, 23, of Grove City, who was at the home.
In August of that year, Williams also killed Henry Watson, 52, of Columbus, and Tera Pennington, 48, also of Columbus, to prevent them from tying Williams to Reynolds’ murder. Williams then ordered others to clean the scene, dismember the bodies and bury the remains at different locations. More than two years later, in January 2021, their bodies were found buried in concrete in a home in the Hilltop section of the city.
According to the attorney’s office, Williams used a home on Stevens Avenue to sell drugs including fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine. Court records state that on more than one occasion, someone overdosed at the home and had to be revived with Narcan.
In total, 13 people have been charged in connection with the group.
Williams faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison. No sentencing date has been set as of Tuesday.
Kyle Castle, 23, pleaded guilty in June to his role in the Reynolds’ killing.
