Additional child sex abuse charges as well
By Jon Johnson
SAFFORD – After more than three years since the homicide, while imprisoned for possession of child pornography, Eric Lavon Williams, 37, of Pima, has been charged with murder in the second degree for the killing of Kenneth Jay Babcock on Oct. 28, 2021.
Eric is currently serving an 8-year federal prison sentence for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Babcock was dating Eric’s wife, Cori Williams, after the couple had separated and were going through a divorce. According to a Graham County Sheriff’s Office report, Cori was having some problems with Babcock and wanted to retrieve the keys to her car, not let 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 assist in retrieving the keys. When he attempted to do so sometime later, an argument ensued, which led to 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, the 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 blu 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 contact 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 lost consciousness.
Further investigation led authorities to believe that what had appeared to be initially self-defense was more sinister.
Police uncovered messages between Eric Williams and his Cori Williams during the week leading up to the murder in which she repeatedly complained about Babcock and how she wished he was 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 as 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 possession and distribution of CSAM after the investigation revealed she had obtained such material for her husband and sent it to him. She pleaded guilty on July 20, 2023, and was sentenced April 17, 2024
In addition to the murder charge, Eric has also been charged with an additional 11 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor for child sex abuse material located previously in his possession.
