A federal jury in St. Louis has found Michael Grady, 70, guilty of conspiring with Victoria Rena Williams to orchestrate the murder of Williams’ fiancée, Charles Harris III, at his home in St. Louis County in 2011.
Grady was convicted on charges of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, aiding and abetting murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The verdict follows a trial that began last week.
According to evidence presented at trial, Grady developed the plan to kill Harris so that he and Williams could collect insurance payouts. Testimony showed Grady hired individuals to carry out the shooting at Harris’ Langford Drive residence on October 5, 2011. During the planning stages, Grady told Williams, “I have two young shooters.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, Michael Grady was at the center of this,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Nino Przulj said during closing arguments.
Williams, now 67, pleaded guilty in September to the same three counts as Grady and is awaiting sentencing.
Testimony from Williams revealed that after an argument over money with Harris in 2010—which Grady witnessed—he suggested she should not tolerate such disputes. Following his advice, Williams contacted an insurance company recommended by Grady to inquire about accidental death coverage for fatal robberies. On August 27, 2010, she began applying for a $250,000 policy on Harris.
The killing occurred after confirmation that the policy was active and when it became clear another insurance plan would not pay out. Harris worked for an alarm company and sold suits from his home; Williams told him prospective buyers were coming—these individuals turned out to be the shooters. She testified that she attempted several times to withdraw from the plot but was pressured by Grady who warned her it could be “bad for you” if she backed out again.
Following Harris’s death, Williams received $224,444 from one life insurance company and obtained a cashier’s check for $110,000 payable to Grady’s wife. She also collected $175,762 from another policy.
Investigators traced electronic communications between Williams and Grady throughout their planning of the murder and identified exchanges involving one shooter before and after the crime. The identity of those who carried out the shooting remains unknown; Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Boyce stated only Grady knows who they are.
Grady is scheduled for sentencing on June 4 and faces a possible life sentence. He is currently serving a separate 226-month federal prison term related to his role in aiding a violent drug trafficking organization by attempting to identify cooperating witnesses.
The investigation was conducted by the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI. Prosecutors handling the case include Assistant U.S. Attorneys Donald Boyce, Nino Przulj, and Ryan Finlen.
