Steve Hamilton sentenced for role in murder of Loretta Williams

Jan. 22—LA GRANDE — Steve Hamilton, who was arrested along with Ronald Lee in connection to the 2018 murder of Loretta Williams, was sentenced in Union County Circuit Court on two counts of hindering the prosecution.

Circuit Court Judge Daniel Hill, of Hermiston, sentenced Hamilton on Friday, Jan. 20, to two consecutive 45 month sentences, one for each count of hindering the prosecution. He will get credit for time served dating back to his arrest on March 21, 2019, and be eligible for alternative incarceration programs. The original charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder were dismissed.

After his release, Hamilton will undergo three years of post-prison supervision. He is also not allowed to have contact with Williams' family.

Lee, who was on trial for Williams' death during the summer of 2022, is serving a life sentence for her murder.

Initial investigation

During the course of law enforcement's investigation into Williams' death, Hamilton's name came up multiple times in connection with Lee, according to Union County District Attorney Kelsie McDaniel's sentencing memorandum.

Hamilton, who was the executive director of Post Acute Rehab, La Grande, at the time of his arrest, originally told law enforcement he did not really know Lee and had only hired him to fix his recreational vehicle. By the end of the interview, he said he had gotten to know Lee "pretty well" and knew where the home Lee had at one point shared with Williams in Cove was located.

However, despite multiple interviews prior to his arrest, Hamilton did not reveal that Lee was responsible for Williams' murder or his own connection to her death.

Hamilton did not tell law enforcement about specific interactions with Lee until pressed about those instances during

interviews, according to McDaniel, such as driving Lee to Ace Hardware where Lee purchased the gloves that were linked to the scene of the murder or to Meacham where Lee picked up a gun prior to Williams' death. His recollection about his whereabouts and timeline of the night she died after being shot were also inconsistent between interviews with law enforcement.

Plea agreement

In a settlement conference presided by Hill in September 2019, Hamilton agreed to a plea petition with the state. He agreed to plead guilty on two counts of hindering the prosecution with consecutive 45 month sentences. This agreement was accepted by Hill on May 15, 2020.

However, in the interviews during which Hamilton was supposed to share his version of events, law enforcement still felt like he was not being truthful as his statements were inconsistent, according to McDaniel. He was evasive and confrontational, which led McDaniel to believe he "was either unwilling or unable (to) fully cooperate with the State in pursuing a conviction of Mr. Lee."

Testifying against Lee

Under new court-appointed legal counsel — Hillsboro attorney David Rich — Hamilton was able to salvage the deal he made with the state. He testified against Lee during his trial.

During his testimony, Hamilton admitted to driving Lee to Meachem where he picked up a "cowboy gun" from a friend, and to seeing two guns the night of the murder. He also admitted to driving Lee out to the residence in Cove the night Lee killed Williams. He said Lee had held a gun to his head and he was afraid for his life.

Hamilton testified he had his phone on him that night, but when Lee got out of the car he did not drive away or call for help. Hamilton testified he saw police heading toward Cove as he drove Lee away from the residence. He said he saw Lee throw a gun out the car window and heard him admit to killing Williams.

Hamilton said Lee threatened to do the same to him, his wife and her children if he told anyone.

"Perhaps the most damning for Mr. Hamilton is that he didn't tell anyone about what he had seen and what he knew — where the gun was, the admissions that Mr. Lee made. Even when he knew that Ms. Williams had been killed. Even when he had traveled across the country with his family shortly after the murder. His testimony was that he was more afraid of Ron Lee than he was of the police," McDaniel wrote.

Isabella Crowley is a reporter for The Observer. Contact her at 541-624-6014 or icrowley@lagrandeobserver.com.