Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
ABC 20/20 will chronicle the murder-for-hire killings of Holly Williams and her estranged boyfriend, William Lanway, on March 12, 2020. The upcoming episode titled “Sealed with a Kill” premieres on the network this Friday, February 9, 2024, at 9 p.m. ET.
People Magazine reported that Williams and Lanway were found shot to death inside a car at a Nashville construction site. A subsequent investigation revealed a sinister murder-for-hire plot orchestrated by Texas Automobile dealer Erik Maund. Reportedly, Maund, who was married at the time, and Williams were involved in an affair.
According to the DA’s report, text messages revealed that Lanway, who knew about the affair, was trying to extort Maund. The former had demanded payment from Maund and threatened to expose his relationship with Williams if he didn’t comply. Following this, the automobile dealer hired three hitmen, namely Gilad Peled, Adam Carey, and Bryon Brockway, to deal with the problem.
Maund, Carey, and Brockway stood trial in federal court in November 2023, which resulted in convictions. Peled had previously pleaded guilty and had also agreed to testify against the rest at the trial as part of the deal.
Who were the suspects convicted in Holly Williams and William Lanway’s murder-for-hire?
Last November, a federal jury convicted Erik Maund and two out of the three men he hired in Holly Williams and William Lanway’s murder-for-hire case. The jury found Maund guilty of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and not guilty of kidnapping resulting in death. Meanwhile, the two men—Bryon Brockway and Adam Carey—were convicted on all charges. A fourth individual, Gilad Peled, who had previously pleaded guilty, testified at the trial.
The DA’s report stated that evidence suggested Maund once had an extramarital affair with Williams. But, in March 2020, Lanway, Williams’ estranged boyfriend, attempted to extort Maund about the said affair. Lanway demanded money from Maund and threatened to expose his relationship with Williams in case he refused to comply, per People Magazine.
In order to deal with the attempted extortion, Maund hired Peled, who then hired Brockway and Carey to look into Lanway and Williams. Peled’s testimony alleged that since Lanway was persistent about the extortion, Maund eventually agreed to pay Brockway and Carey $100,000 each to murder the duo.
Evidence showed that Maund wired $150,000 to Peled, the middleman for the plot, on March 12, 2020, per the U.S. Attorney’s Office. That same day, Brockway and Carey murdered Lanway and kidnapped Williams before murdering her as well. Following Holly Williams and William Lanway’s murders, Maund wired Peled $900,000 in payments for the plot. Peled then withdrew cash to pay Brockway and Carey.
The suspects had surveilled Holly Williams before the murders
Austin American-Statesman reported that evidence showed on March 9, 2020, Gilad Peled received a document concerning Williams. The document stated that Carey and others had surveilled Holly Williams. It further said that they “would use everything at their disposal to stop the attempted extortion of [Erik] Maund,” as per federal officers.
Prosecutors claimed Bryon Brockway and Carey fatally shot William Lanway in the parking lot of Williams’ apartment in West Nashville on March 12, per The Tennessean. They then kidnapped Williams, took Lanway’s body, and drove to a construction site off Old Hickory Boulevard. During the drive, Carey reportedly shot Williams, killing her. Then, they left the victims’ bodies at the site inside a vehicle. The discovery of their bodies was made the following morning, on March 13, 2020.
Police arrested Maund in Austin during a traffic stop and arrested him for the killings in December 2021, reported the Austin American-Statesman. Moreover, authorities arrested Peled at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Brockway in San Diego, and Carey at his home in North Carolina.
ABC 20/20’s episode on Holly Williams and William Lanway’s murder-for-hire case will air on February 9, 2024.
