Timothy Paul Price Williams pleaded guilty Thursday to first-degree murder in the Christmas Eve 2022 killing of Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Corporal Ray Hamilton.
- State Attorney Ginger Bowden Madden announced the plea agreement in a statement, saying the defense made an offer for Price Williams to enter a guilty plea in exchange for the state not seeking the death penalty. The Hamilton family accepted the offer after careful consideration.
“Today, Timothy Paul Price Williams entered a plea of GUILTY to First Degree Murder, waiving all rights to appeal, ensuring finality, and sparing the family from reliving the tragic events of Ray’s death in a courtroom for years to come,” Madden said in the statement.
Price Williams, 43, shot and killed Hamilton during a domestic violence standoff at 710 North Park Boulevard in Fort Walton Beach on December 24, 2022. Deputies had responded to a report that Price Williams had slapped and shoved a woman during an argument the night before, taking her phone so she could not call for help.
- When deputies arrived at the townhome around 9 a.m. to make contact with Price Williams, he refused to come out. The Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team was called in, and Hamilton, a five-year veteran and team member, responded to the scene.
After refusing to leave the home for hours, Price Williams shot out a window around 12:40 p.m., striking Hamilton. The corporal was rushed to Fort Walton Beach-Destin Hospital, where he died shortly after 3 p.m. Price Williams was hit with return fire from deputies, sustaining a non-life-threatening arm injury.
Hamilton had joined the Sheriff’s Office in 2017 as a part-time employee before becoming full-time and eventually a crime scene investigator. He was promoted to corporal in November 2022, just one month before his death. In addition to serving on the Special Response Team, Hamilton was a field training officer who had received two lifesaving awards.
Chief Assistant State Attorney Bridgette Jensen and Assistant State Attorney Trey Myers worked closely with the Hamilton family throughout the prosecution to ensure the outcome reflected their wishes while holding Price Williams accountable.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 28, 2025, at 9 a.m. at the Okaloosa County Courthouse Annex Extension in Fort Walton Beach.
