Sal Mineo
Who Killed Sal Mineo?
A little more than a year after Sal Mineo’s death, in May 1977, Theresa Williams, wife of initial suspect Lionel Ray Williams, shocked detectives when she claimed that her husband had, in fact, killed Mineo. She reported that her husband had returned home the night of the murder, covered in blood and when they saw a news report of the slaying, he told Theresa, “that’s the dude I killed”. Jailed on an unrelated charge in Michigan, Williams also told a cellmate that he killed Sal Mineo.
Charged with the robbery and murder of Sal Mineo, along with 10 charges from a string of other crimes around the same period of time, Williams went to trial in early 1979. One major problem with the prosecution’s case was that initially, eye witness reports said the suspect was a white man with blonde hair and Willams was an African-American man with an afro. It was later determined that the white man with blonde hair was a bystander who had chased after the suspect. Williams was convicted of second-degree murder for the robbery and killing of Sal Mineo along with the other 10 charges and was sentenced to a minimum of 51 years in prison. William’s appeals were all denied.
Williams was released after only serving 12-years for murder. Upon release, he was quickly picked-up again for violating the terms of his parole. Today his whereabouts are unknown.
Williams wife, Theresa, committed suicide shortly after his arrest.
Cemetery Information:
Final Resting Place:
Gate of Heaven Cemetery
10 West Stevens Avenue
Hawthorne, New York, 10532
USA
North America
Map:
Grave Location:
Section 2, Row 211, Space 4Grave Location Description
As you drive through the entrance on Stevens Avenue, make an immediate right turn and continue up the hill. As you come to Section 6 stay to your right and Section 2 will be on your left. Drive around to the other side and look to your left for the large D’Onofrio mausoleum. Directly in front of the mausoleum about 40 feet away you will find the final resting place of legendary actor Sal Mineo along with his family.