Williams supporters plan to hold funeral ‘befitting a statesman’

SAN FRANCISCO – The argument over whether convicted killer Stanley Tookie Williams was a man of peace or a death-row con artist raged on after his execution Tuesday, with supporters announcing they would give him a funeral “befitting a statesman.”

The 51-year-old founder of the bloody Crips gang died by injection at San Quentin Prison just after midnight for the murders of four people in two 1979 holdups, professing his innocence to the very end, even when an admission of guilt might have helped save his life.

After the execution, Williams’ supporters vowed to continue his work to discourage youngsters from following in his footsteps, and promised another book from writings he left behind.

“If they think they succeeded by killing him in getting people to forget about him, they have done just the opposite,” said Barbara Becnel, his collaborator and most vocal supporter.

Williams declined to make a final statement as he went to his death.