Joseph Wingard: Man convicted for 1991 Calumet City murders arrested again for allegedly killing his wife
SOUTH HOLLAND, ILLINOIS: Joseph Wingard, a 50-year-old twice-convicted murderer, is back behind bars after allegedly shooting his wife Lone P Williams several times at their South Holland, Illinois home on June 22. Williams later died from her wounds at the hospital.
Wingard had been released from prison custody in January of this year after serving decades for two 1991 murders. He was on the run for over a month before turning himself in on Saturday night, November 25, as per Law&Crime.
Who is Joseph Wingard?
In 1991 at age 17, Wingard was convicted for the brutal murders of 22-year-old April Fields, who was seven months pregnant at the time, and 20-year-old Shedrene D Handy. Wingard shot Fields in the back of the head for meddling in his relationship with his girlfriend, who was Fields' best friend.
After shooting Fields, Wingard then shot Handy through the eye as she was present in the apartment. He was convicted in 1994 for the murders and the death of Fields' unborn baby.
After serving over 30 years behind bars, Wingard was released from custody in January 2023 on parole.
Lone P Williams' family reveals getting a 'bad vibe' from Joseph Wingard
On the evening of June 22, a family member found 60-year-old Williams suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to her abdomen at the home she shared with Wingard in South Holland. She was rushed to the hospital but sadly could not be saved.
In the days following Williams' murder, her family and community activists held a press conference pleading to the public for any information on Wingard's whereabouts and offered a $5,000 reward. Williams' daughter left a message for Wingard, saying, "It breaks my heart because you do this to my mom and she cared a lot about your family and you do that to my mom."
Family members revealed having a "bad vibe" from Wingard, who rarely associated with them. They feared he had been taking advantage of Williams' finances after she had recently won a lawsuit settlement. "When you deal with monsters, such as this guy, that happens," said Williams' cousin, Rev D'Arcy Kent.
After over a month on the run, Wingard finally turned himself in on Saturday night. He now faces another first-degree murder charge for the grievous attack on his wife.