Two United States Marine veterans were arrested Friday in connection with a double murder-for-hire plot, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department on Monday.
Almost two years after Holly Williams, 33, and William Lanway, 36, were found dead, Nashville police have charged Erik Charles Maund, former IDF member Gilad Peled, former Special Operations Marine Byron Brockway, and former Special Operations Marine Adam Carey over the alleged scheme, New Channel 5 reported.
MNPD detectives and FBI agents arrested all four men on Friday, Dec. 10 in multiple states.
“This investigation began with the discovery of two bodies inside a vehicle on Good Friday 2020,” Chief John Drake said. “Outstanding investigative work, led by Detectives Patrick Cuthbertson and David Willover, led to multiple leads that drew our attention to other states. Realizing this very complex case reached far outside of Nashville, our team enlisted the help of the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Our close relationship with our federal partners led to the indictment and arrest of the four individuals.”
The indictment showed that Maund and Williams previously had a relationship, and in February 2020, Maund emailed Williams wanting to see her again.
Weeks later, Maund received a series of text messages from Lanway, who had a current personal romantic relationship with Williams. Lanway attempted to blackmail Maund, threatening to expose his and Williams’ relationship if Lanway did not receive payment.
Maud then hired Peled, Brockway and Carey to address the threats and extortion.
Investigators found that Maund withdrew $15,000 from his bank account on the same day an “intelligence report” was provided to Peled. Carey and others surveilled Williams and Lanway, confirming her address and vehicle, as well as the whereabouts of each.
Maund later transferred $150,000 from his personal bank account to Peled’s bank account. On the same day, Brockway and Carey challenged Williams and Lanway outside Williams’ apartment complex in West Nashville, where the pair murdered Lanway, shooting him multiple times.
Brockway and Carey then kidnapped Williams, driving her and the deceased Lanway to a construction site in West Nashville. After murdering Williams by shooting her multiple times, the men discarded their victims’ bodies at the construction site.
Since the incident, Maud has allegedly transferred more than $750,000 from his bank account to Peled’s account as payment to the three men for the kidnapping and murders.
If found guilty, the veterans and others could be sentenced to life in prison.
