South S.L. man kidnapped, abused wife, charges say

A South Salt Lake man accused of tying up his wife, beating her and threatening to kill her 2-year-old child in front of her has been charged with several felonies and a misdemeanor.

Davey Joe Williams, 31, is in Salt Lake County jail in lieu of $250,000 bail after prosecutors say he kidnapped and abused his wife over a three-day period, according to charges filed Tuesday in 3rd District Court.

After Williams accused his wife of cheating on him during a confrontation on Sept. 20, he told her toddler son to go into the living room, the charges state.

"(He) took (her) into the bedroom and began beating her with his fists," according to a probable cause statement. "(He) then cut the cord from the clock radio and tied (her) wrists together. (He) used another cord to tie her ankles together, and a third cord to wrap around her throat (to) strangle her."

The woman told detectives he released the cord from her throat when she couldn't breathe and began to cry.

According to the charging statement, Williams continued to beat her and "several times called (the toddler) into the room," the document states. "Each time he held the (child) by the neck and stated, 'Tell me the truth or I will take him out. I know it will hurt you if I take him out.' "

On three separate occasions during the couple's alleged dispute, in which Williams is accused of not allowing his wife to leave the room or use the restroom, prosecutors say he used a knife to cut off locks of her hair.

Then he forced the woman to lie on the bed, where he placed his legs over her body "to prevent her from leaving while he slept," the charges state.

The next day, Williams took her to a clothing store and bought her a dress. But prosecutors say the abuse continued on the third day, on Sept. 22, when Williams put "something" inside a sock and beat her with it.

"(He) held (her) to the floor and called (the child) into the room," the document states. "When (the boy) entered the bedroom, (Williams) held a 10-pound dumbbell over (the child's) head and threatened to kill him if (she) didn't tell him what he wanted to hear."

Prosecutors say Williams left the house, but threatened that he would kill her and her son and told her not to contact police. The woman went to a nearby store and called 911. When police arrived, they saw Williams run to the nearby home of his mother. He was later found hiding in a bedroom.

Cindy Lou Williams was charged with obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony, because prosecutors say she told officers that her son was not in her house. A warrant has been issued for her arrest.

Williams is charged with two counts of aggravated kidnapping, a first-degree felony; two counts of aggravated assault and domestic violence in the presence of a child, both third-degree felonies; and interruption of a communication device, a class B misdemeanor, for allegedly interfering with her ability to call 911.

e-mail: jhancock@desnews.com