I Am a Killer Season 2 finale recap: Something Hideous

Netflix/Crime+Investigation UK’s I Am a Killer: Toby Williams

The season 2 finale of I Am a Killer begins with convicted murderer Toby Williams suggesting that, when he killed Deborah Moore and shot her husband, John, he was “sinking in a sea of sin.” He admits that he did something hideous. But what made Toby Lynn Williams kill on December 20, 1984, in Granbury, Texas?

Toby grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana. He suggests that his upbringing was troubled. For example, he came to learn that his “mom” was actually his grandmother. Also, his dad had been in prison for murder at one point, and he regularly fought with his stepbrothers. While none of this perfectly explains what went wrong, it does seem like less than an idyllic life.

I Am a Killer: Running away

According to Williams, he ran away from home at a young age and was mostly left to his own devices. He says he stole to eat and began drinking alcohol. At the age of 15, Toby Lynn Williams was given a “juvenile life sentence” for an armed robbery/attempted murder, being released before his 20th birthday. Johnny Moore, an owner of an RV business, hired Toby for a week. This turned out to be a fatal mistake.

Williams decided to rob Johnny Moore and his wife, believing that someone else who was recently fired would be blamed. Unfortunately, Toby believed he’d have to Moore and his wife to get away with it. Shockingly, Toby Williams managed to talk two women — Wilma and Victoria — into being his accomplices. So they took Johnny, Deborah, and their baby with them into Texas to throw off the police. It didn’t work.

The prompt arrest

Toby Williams was arrested only about 4 hours after the crime, charged with kidnapping and capital murder. Though John Moore was left for dead, he made his way to the home of Frank Roberson. Initially, Mr, Roberson was afraid the knock on his door was from a robber. However, it was from an attempted murder victim. Now, back in Shreveport all these years later, we see Johnny Moore is still alive.

Now, as he looks at old pictures of Debbie, he says he’s still not 100% over the murder. Understandably, he says he doesn’t care to talk about Toby Williams. On the bright side, he does appear to be happily remarried to a woman named Belinda. Though he doesn’t speak much at all about Toby, he does note how victims don’t get to have an appeal. Also, his son, George, is now 35 years of age.

Mixed up details

I Am a Killer does, at times, present mixed narratives of what happened. In addition to overlooking what happened to Toby Williams’ female accomplices, interview subjects tend to give conflicting accounts. For example, John S. Walker, the former District Attorney for Panola County, Texas, actually says that Toby Williams made Johnny and Deborah have sex before shooting her!

That’s a harrowing tale, but John Moore himself says they were only stripped down and no forced sex occurred. Either way, Toby Williams initially was given a death sentence, though it was reduced to life, due to Toby’s mental incompetence. Toby tells I Am a Killer that he had been raped as a boy and that he never really knew his parents. He also assures us he’s a born again Christian, and he speaks with the intelligence of someone who’s used his time in prison to educate himself, to the extent possible.

On that note, Toby Williams says that he has written a book and wants the proceeds to go to crime victims. He has been denied parole 5 times, however. This fact objectively suggests not everyone’s convinced he is a changed man. As of 2020, according to the Texas Tribune, Toby Williams’ projected release date is 1/1/9999.

What are your thoughts on the season 2 finale of I Am a Killer and this case? Let us know in the comments!