Halfway House Escapee In Custody

Wednesday, March 14th 2007, 6:22 am

By: News On 6

A convict remains in custody after police say he fled a halfway house near Oklahoma City, hitchhiked to eastern Oklahoma and abducted a Rogers County woman. 36-year-old Lloyd Williams was arrested in west Tulsa Wednesday morning, 51-year-old Karen Chamberlin was found with him.

The News On 6â€™s Chris Wright reports according to authorities Williams had become infatuated with Chamberlin after meeting her while she was visiting her son in prison.

Police say Williams disappeared from his halfway house in Union City, west of Oklahoma City, sometime Monday night. After apparently hitchhiking to Rogers County, he showed up at a house east of Owasso, determined to see Chamberlin, a prison mate's mother he had spoken with several times.

"They would speak, say hi, bye coming in, that type of thing, apparently he took it as a lot more than that,â€ said Rogers County Undersheriff Barry Lamb.

Police say he broke in, then waited until Chamberlin's fiancÃ© came home. Authorities believe Williams held him hostage with a box cutter until Chamberlin came home several hours later. After talking with Chamberlin, police say Williams agreed to go back to the halfway house, as long as she came with him.

"Apparently, through some conversation, he was convinced that the best thing to do would be to turn himself in, and she would take him there," said Lamb.

Before returning to the halfway house, authorities say Williams wanted to visit his mother in west Tulsa, but after leaving Rogers County, Chamberlin's fiancÃ© alerted Tulsa Police, and they were waiting for him.

"From what we were told from Rogers County, we had every belief that he was going to kill her, hurt her, harm her after he visited his mother,â€ said Tulsa County Sheriff's Office Captain Michelle Robinette.

He didn't get that chance. Deputies say Williams took off from his car, but was caught by a Tulsa Police K9 officer an hour later. Williams has a laundry list of drugs, weapons and arson convictions, and given his history, Rogers County authorities say they were fortunate no one was hurt.

"Could have turned out a lot worse,â€ said Lamb. â€œI looked at the criminal history on this gentleman, it's nothing you want to write home about."

The Tulsa County Sheriff's Office says Williams had told Chamberlin he was not going back to prison and threatened to kill himself. He is being held in the Tulsa County jail, but authorities say he will likely face burglary, breaking and entering and kidnapping charges in Rogers County.