Williams and three others -- Karim Sampson, Brandon Edwards and John Murphy -- were charged with planning Bell's slaying online because they believe Williams had 'snitched'
TRENTON — A Trenton man has been found guilty of planning the execution-style killing of a fellow gang member through thousands of messages on the Myspace social network in 2008.
The jury reached the verdict this morning finding Keith Williams guilty of conspiracy to commit the murder of 20-year-old Arrel Bell, who was found dead on May 1, 2008 in Trenton's Stacy Park with two gunshots to the back of the head.
Bell's parents sat in the courtroom this morning. His mother, Beatrice Smith wiped her eyes with a tissue as the verdict was read.
"This is just round one," she said outside the courtroom.
Williams and three others -- Karim Sampson, Brandon Edwards and John Murphy -- were charged with planning Bell’s slaying online because they believed Bell had given a statement to police implicating Sampson in an unrelated robbery case.
Williams was the first of the four men to be tried in Bell's killing. The other three defendants have trials scheduled for later this year.
No eye-witnesses of the shooting were ever identified and no weapon was recovered, authorities said. Investigators had few leads in the case until they reviewed Bell's Myspace page and began investigating the men shown with him in photos.
An officials from Myspace was flown in from the company's California headquarters to testify during the case about how the social network's messaging system works.
Prosecutors have said they were all members of the Sex Money Murder street gang.
Williams' attorney maintained during the trial that Williams never consented to the slaying.
Sentencing for Williams has been set for June 14.
Previous coverage:
• Jurors of Myspace murder trial to review online messages between defendant, alleged co-conspirator
• Trenton man charged in Myspace murder trial will not testify in his own defense
• Jurors of Myspace murder trial in Trenton hear testimony from main witness
• Myspace representative testifies in trial of Trenton man accused of using the site to plot a murder
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