(Stillwater, Okla.) — The wife of an ex-convict who was fatally shot by a Stillwater police officer was charged Monday with being an accessory to first-degree arson and an accessory to first-degree murder of their neighbor, who was found dead in his apartment during a Jan. 29 fire at a two-story building in the 100 block of W. Scott Street in Stillwater.
Rachel Marie Willis, 37, was arraigned Monday from the Payne County Jail where she was ordered held on $250,000 bail pending her appearance in court Friday with an attorney, court records show.
She allegedly helped her husband, Ralph Willis III, 42, flee the scene of the killing of their neighbor William C. Marg, 64, who lived downstairs from the couple, by gathering and assisting in the transportation of the couple’s items — to assist her husband to avoid arrest and prosecution for Marg’s death, according to the accessory to murder count.
She allegedly assisted her husband to set fire to the apartment building by helping her husband remove personal items from the residence, according to the accessory to arson count.
If convicted of both felony counts, Rachel Willis could be given as much as a 62 and one-half year prison term, according to the two-count charge filed by First Assistant District Attorney Kevin Etherington on Monday.
Stillwater firefighters were called just before 9 a.m. on Jan. 29 to a fire at the two-story apartment building in which Marg lived downstairs and the Willises lived upstairs, the source of the fire, an Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation news release said.
When firefighters discovered Marg deceased in his apartment, Stillwater police were called to the scene and began investigating, the OSBI news release said.
“Initial investigation indicated Marg’s death was a homicide and the source of the fire in the upstairs apartment was suspicious,” the OSBI news release said.
The Willises were not at their apartment at the time of the fire and were identified as “persons of interest in Marg’s homicide,” the OSBI news release said.
“Looking deeper into the Willises’ criminal background, investigators discovered they both had warrants for their arrest,” the OSBI news release said.
“Ralph Willis had warrants for failure to appear on two 1991 second-degree burglary charges and a failure to pay in a 1992 escape from a penal institution charge.
“Rachel Willis had misdemeanor warrants for failure to pay on a 2012 public intoxication charge as well as warrants for littering and obstructing an officer charge that same year,” the OSBI news release said.
Officers began looking for the couple, who were spotted shortly after noon as they were entering the Walmart on Perkins Road, the OSBI news release said.
“Approximately 20 minutes later, officers made contact with the two as they exited the store,” the OSBI news release said.
“When the couple saw the officers, the two ran south. Officers quickly caught up with Rachel and arrested her on the outstanding warrants.
“Officers continued to chase Ralph Willis to the backyard of a residence located in the 600 block of East Maple Street.
“There, it is reported Willis turned toward the officer and made a threatening gesture at the officer.
“That officer fired his weapon striking Willis one time in the chest. Willis died at the scene,” the OSBI news release said.
Stillwater Police Chief Ryan McCaghren requested that the OSBI conduct the officer-involved shooting investigation, the news release said.
On Monday, District Attorney Laura Austin Thomas had not released the results of that investigation and whether the officer would be charged in the fatal shooting of Ralph Willis.
According to state Department of Corrections records, Ralph Willis III had been convicted of two second-degree burglaries in Craig County in 1991, for which he was given two concurrent three-year prison terms followed by two years of probation.
A year later, Ralph Willis was convicted of escape from a state penitentiary in Craig County in 1992 for which he was given a two-year prison term, DOC records show.
The following year, Ralph Willis was convicted of escape from a state penitentiary in Okfuskee County in 1992 for which he was given a two-year probationary term, DOC records show.
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