L.A. Man Found Guilty of Helping to Plot Death of Police Detective

A man who helped plan the 1985 revenge slaying of a Los Angeles police detective was acquitted of first-degree murder Tuesday but was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder.

Voltaire Alphonse Williams, 25, of Los Angeles is scheduled to be sentenced to 25 years to life in prison by Van Nuys Superior Court Judge Kathryne Ann Stoltz on March 27.

A Superior Court jury convicted Williams of helping plan the Halloween, 1985, revenge slaying of Detective Thomas C. Williams, killed in a volley of gunfire as he picked up his 6-year-old son from a Canoga Park day-care center. The child escaped injury. Voltaire Williams is not related to the slain officer.

Two other men, Daniel Jenkins, 33, and Ruben Antonio Moss, 26, were convicted earlier in the ambush killing. In October, Jenkins was sentenced to die in the gas chamber; Moss was sentenced to life in prison in December.

Jenkins, a North Hollywood limousine company owner, had plotted to have the detective killed to prevent him from testifying in a robbery trial in which Jenkins was the defendant, according to testimony. But the plan to kill the detective did not work out and he testified, authorities said. Jenkins, who was convicted of robbery the day after the slaying, killed the officer in retaliation for his testimony, prosecutors said.

The jury deliberated 2 1/2 days before reaching the verdict against Voltaire Williams. It is continuing to consider the fate of co-defendants Duane Moody, 31, and Reecy Clem Cooper, 34, each charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Defense attorneys have said the three men did not know each other.

Prosecutors accused Voltaire Williams of meeting with Daniel Jenkins and another man on Oct. 24, 1985, at a Reseda skating rink to plan the killing.

However, Williams’ attorney, Lewis Watnick, said his client, an aspiring boxer, initially agreed to help Jenkins kill the officer but backed out. Watnick said Voltaire Williams was in Oakland at the time of the killing.

“He gave back the gun and the gloves six days before the murder took place,” Watnick said, recalling witnesses’ testimony during the 10-week-long trial. “He was going to do it, but then he couldn’t.”

Watnick and Charles Lloyd, who also represented Williams, said they were not pleased with the verdict on the conspiracy charge and plan to appeal.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Richard L. Jenkins said: “We’re pleased. We think the verdict was supported by the evidence.”

The prosecutor disputed the claim that Voltaire Williams had backed out of the conspiracy but agreed that he had been out of town when the shooting occurred.