By Jon Johnson
SAFFORD – Nearly four years ago, on Oct. 28, 2021, Kenneth Jay Babcock was strangled to death by Eric Lavon Williams, 37, of Pima, in a love triangle between the two men and Williams’ estranged wife at the time, Cori Williams. Eric proclaimed his innocence over the years and said the death occurred during mutual combat. However, he recently accepted a plea agreement and pleaded guilty to what he was charged with, murder in the second degree.
The plea will ensure Williams will be imprisoned for 20 years for the murder, with Graham County Judge Michael D. Peterson deciding whether the sentence will be served consecutive (after) or concurrent with an 8-year federal sentence Eric is currently serving for possession of child sex abuse material (CSAM) involving pre-pubescent children between the ages of 2 and 11. If Judge Peterson chooses to run Eric’s murder penalty consecutively, Eric will be incarcerated until at least 2051. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 5 at 4:30 p.m.
Additionally, the Graham County Attorney’s Office, led by Graham County Attorney L. Scott Bennett, also charged Eric with five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor relating to his previous federal case. The additional charges were then amended to five counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, a class-3 felony, and dangerous crime against children in the first degree. Following the plea agreement, Eric will be placed on lifetime supervised sexual offender probation upon his release from the Arizona Department of Corrections on each of the five amended counts.
Babcock was dating Cori as she was separated from Eric and was going through a divorce at the time of the murder. According to a Graham County Sheriff’s Office report, Cori was experiencing issues with Babcock and wanted to retrieve the keys to her car, rather than letting Babcock drive it. She told authorities that she had caught Babcock using methamphetamine, and when she threw it away, he threatened her physically and with a knife.
So, she enlisted her estranged husband, Eric, to help retrieve the keys. When he attempted to do so sometime later, an argument ensued, resulting in a physical confrontation.
According to Eric, Babcock began punching him and struck his knee in his face. Eric said Babcock was armed with a razor blade knife and that to protect himself, he choked him until he passed out. Nobody else witnessed the altercation.
On off-duty, Graham County probation officer was hunting with Eric’s father when Eric called him to allegedly assist with picking up the vehicle at a residence off Spur Drive about six miles south of Safford. Upon arrival at the residence, however, the men encountered Eric outside, who advised that he had gotten into an altercation with Babcock and that Babcock had pulled a knife on him. A razor blade knife was later recovered at the scene.
The probation officer and Eric’s father checked on Babcock and noticed he wasn’t breathing. They called 911, and the men began cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) until relieved by law enforcement and paramedics. Babcock was declared deceased at the scene.
Eric allegedly told an investigator that he was in fear for his life and had lost consciousness when Babcock’s knee struck his head. When he noticed the razor blade, he said he threw Babcock down on the ground and placed his knee into Babcock’s hand and his arm on the back of his neck. After holding him in that position for a while, Babcock quit moving, and Williams said he believed he had passed out.
Further investigation led authorities to believe that what had appeared to be initially self-defense was more sinister.
Police uncovered messages between Eric and Cori during the week leading up to the murder in which she repeatedly complained about Babcock and how she wished he were dead and that she could kill him. In the messages, she pleads with Williams for help and says the only way to fix things is to “get rid of Kenny.”
To complicate things further, Eric was also Cori’s drug dealer, and she asked him to bring over apparent illicit stimulants in an Oct. 27, 2021, message, the day before the murder. Additionally, the investigation revealed that Eric had reportedly threatened Babcock’s life previously for being with his wife.
An autopsy performed by the Pima County Office of Medical Examiner ruled Babcock’s death a homicide due to cervical compression – he was strangled to death.
During the homicide investigation, the Department of Homeland Security received information on April 26, 2022, from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding child sex abuse material (CSAM) that was uploaded via Facebook and Snapchat.
Its ensuing investigation found 11 videos containing horrific CSAM involving pre-pubescent children between the ages of 2 and 11.
On Feb. 21, 2024, Eric Williams was sentenced to 97 months in prison (just over 8 years) and was ordered to register as a sex offender upon any release from prison. Cori Williams was also charged with the distribution and possession of CSAM after the investigation showed that she had obtained such material for her husband and sent it to him. Cori was sentenced in April 2024 and was given 18 months for possession of child pornography.
