Public defender named for man accused of double murder

Samuel Todd Williams

During a hearing Monday morning in Sylvania Municipal Court, bond was left at $5 million and a public defender was appointed to represent the man accused of murdering a young couple early this year.

Judge M. Scott Ramey ordered Samuel Williams, 24, whose last known address was 1626 Kelsey Ave. in East Toledo, held in lieu of the bond in the Lucas County jail pending a preliminary hearing Oct. 3 as requested by Nicole Khoury, Mr. Williams’ court-appointed public defender.

Mr. Williams is charged with two counts of murder and two counts of aggravated burglary in connection with the deaths of Lisa Straub, 20, and her boyfriend, Johnny Clarke, 21, who were found dead in her parents’ Springfield Township home on Jan. 31.

During the arraignment, Mr. Williams, a first-year social work student at Owens Community College, showed no emotion as he looked straight ahead in silence.

Clarke’s mother, Maytee Vazquez-Clarke and his father, John P. Clarke, who both were in court, each said they were appalled by the defendants’ demeanor and wished that he’d be given the death penalty.