In April, 1979, George Oglesby and Stanley Williams were housed together at the Los Angeles County Jail. During that time, Williams approached Oglesby with an escape plan. (TT 2398-2399). Initially, Williams asked Oglesby where Williams would be housed if he was found to be insane. (TT 2398-2399). Oglesby told Williams that he (Williams) would either go to Atascadero or Patton.
Williams asked Oglesby if he had any knowledge about those institutions. When Oglesby told Williams that he did have some knowledge about those institutions, Williams began to inquire about his chances of escape. (TT 2399). Oglesby told Williams that his chance of escaping from either institution was very poor. (TT 2399). Later, Williams asked Oglesby if he wanted to participate in a foolproof escape plan. Oglesby indicated he wanted to be included in the escape. (TT 2399).
In later conversations, Williams told Oglesby that he believed "the weak link" in the entire jail system was when inmates were transported between jail and the courthouse. Williams told Oglesby that he could escape from custody while being transported to court. (TT 2399). Williams drew Oglesby a detailed diagram of the area surrounding the Torrance Courthouse and the path of travel the jail transportation bus took as it approached the courthouse to deliver inmates to court. This diagram was received as trial exhibit 73. (TT 2399-2400).
According to Williams' escape plan, two people from the outside would assist in the plan. (TT 2400). These two people, who would be armed, would disarm and kill the first deputy to exit the bus. (TT 2400). Stanley Williams would then murder Alfred Coward ("Blackie") so as to eliminate the witness against him. Williams would also murder the other deputy on the bus. (TT 2400-2401). Lastly, Williams planned on blowing up the bus and its occupants with dynamite, in order to prevent the authorities from quickly discovering who had escaped. (TT 2403).
In a note, Williams wrote that a female had obtained a brand new shotgun for him. (TT 2402). This note was introduced at trial as exhibit 74.
Planning to Use Dynamite
In another note written by Williams and given to Oglesby, Williams explained that he now had dynamite and that the escape would thus happen much sooner than previously discussed. (TT 2403). This note was introduced as exhibit 75.Williams also wrote a note in which he asked Oglesby if they should delay the escape until his (Williams') brother was released from jail so that his brother could assist in the escape. (TT 2404). This note was introduced as exhibit 76.
'Heartbeat Away From Death'
In still another note, Williams asked if they should escape at the next court appearance scheduled in three weeks, or try to be transferred to the jail hospital and escape from there. (TT 2421). This note was introduced as exhibit 77.In another note, Williams explained that Alfred Coward ("Blackie") was a "heartbeat away from death." Williams told Oglesby that he was going to murder "Blackie" because "Blackie" was a witness against him. (TT 2422). In this same note, Williams asked Oglesby about "the weapons." This note was introduced as exhibit 78 (left side).
Specific Instructions
Lastly, Williams wrote that his female accomplice had the new pump shotgun and that he (Williams) hoped that Oglesby's "woman has all the other weapons with the silencers." (TT 2423).This note also included specific instructions regarding the time of the escape, the day of the escape, the location of the jail transport bus, and the number of deputies. This note was introduced as exhibit 78 (right side).
