What happens when we are blinded by love and miss obvious red flags in our partners? The tragic story of retired postman Bill Williamson should serve as a wake-up call to everyone. Her former partner murdered her for his money after manipulating him several times and stealing from him once.
‘Deadly Women: DIY Burial’ on Investigation Discovery follows the investigators as they track down his partner, Ann Browning, and eventually nail him for his murder. If you’re interested in the case and want to learn more, we’ve got you covered. Let’s learn more about Ann Browning, shall we?
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Who exactly is Ann Browning?
Ann Browning, 54, a self-employed cleaner, lived on Milton’s Crescent in Ockford Ridge, Godalming, Surrey. She had two sons and had been divorced twice. Ann met Bill Williamson, 82, a retired postman and widower, at a local historical society event in 2007. Bill’s wife, Mary, died in 2004 at the age of 91, and he used to live alone on Church Road in Milford. He was said to be childless.
According to court testimony, Bill was a lonely, elderly man in need of companionship. Ann had recently divorced her second husband, and they hit it off. Bill was well-off, and he dotted over Ann, lending her money for various things like gasoline and dental work. He allegedly changed his will to leave the majority of his estate to her. Everything changed, however, when he allegedly caught her stealing money from him.
Bill claimed Ann assisted him in opening an account from which £1,200 was missing. Bill claimed Ann had used a cash card he had no knowledge of to withdraw £200 six times. She allegedly used that money to buy £1,000 Premium Bonds a few days later. Ann claimed that Bill withdrew the money himself and had forgotten about it due to his advanced age. She was never charged, however, because there was no evidence of wrongdoing on her part.
Bill’s friends had warned him to be wary of Ann, and the couple was said to have split up. During that time, she also attempted to reconcile with her ex-husband but was unsuccessful. Despite his friends’ fears, Ann and Bill reconciled in March 2009. Their second relationship progressed to the point where Ann persuaded Bill to sell his Church Road home and she would do the same with her Milton’s Crescent home. They both wanted to start a new life together, and Bill had agreed, even lending Ann £6,000 to buy a new Kia car.
Bill sold his Church Road home for £246,924 and moved out on September 10, 2010. He moved into Ann’s house after the money was deposited into their joint account. Prosecutors claimed she murdered Bill with a rounders bat just hours after he moved in. She then resumed her normal life, going to the theater, playing bingo with friends, and even shopping with his gift cards. She even transferred £140,000 from Bill’s house sale proceeds into her joint account and registered his red Mazda car in her name.
When Bill failed to show up for his flu vaccine appointment, the police were called, and they showed up at her door. She purposefully misled the police by claiming he was in Ireland for a family funeral. She also claimed that Bill’s car had been tampered with, but police discovered it parked a few streets away. She was arrested after authorities discovered surveillance footage of her withdrawing Bill’s money and registering his car in her name.
On October 8, 2010, police discovered Bill’s battered and naked body buried in a makeshift grave in her back garden. His legs were tied with a belt and his body was wrapped in a shower curtain. On October 7, 2010, she confessed to the crime. She reportedly told the officers, “Yes, I confess to his murder, I killed him,” but she denied any financial motive and claimed it was all due to the heat of the moment.
Ann Browning’s current location is unknown
Ann insisted she would have turned herself in following his son’s wedding in October 2010. “I love my son so much that I didn’t want to ruin his happiness because he was marrying the girl of his dreams,” she said, but the court didn’t believe her and convicted her of murdering Bill.
She was sentenced to life in prison in August 2011, but she must serve at least 25 years. She was also served with a Confiscation Order for £250,293 that she was ordered to pay as compensation to Bill’s estate in Surrey. She is currently in her mid-60s and serving her sentence in a prison in Surrey.
How is Ann Browning doing these days?
Ann stated that she would have turned herself in following the wedding of his son in October 2010. “I love my son so much that I didn’t want to ruin his happiness because he was getting married to the girl of his dreams,” she claimed, but the court didn’t believe her, and she was found guilty of Bill’s murder.
In August 2011, she was given a life sentence, but she would have to serve at least 25 years. She was also given a Confiscation Order for £250,293 in compensation to pay to Bill’s estate in Surrey. She is now in her mid-60s and serving her sentence in a Surrey prison.
A cleaner was sentenced to life in prison today for murdering an 82-year-old widower and burying him in the garden in order to obtain his money.
Ann Browning, 54, was sentenced to at least 25 years in prison for the “wicked murder” of retired postman William Williamson. According to a judge at Guildford Crown Court, she planned the murder to make money.
Browning, of Ockford Ridge, Surrey, pleaded guilty to murder but denied doing it for money.
Ann Browning befriended Bill Williamson in order to steal his £250,000. Ann Browning assassinated Bill Williamson.
Ann Browning, on the left, murdered William Williamson, on the right, with a plastic rounders bat in order to steal his £250,000 fortune.
She claimed that she hit Mr. Williamson with a plastic rounders bat in a fit of rage and buried his body in her garden to conceal her crime.
Browning repeatedly hit Mr. Williamson in the head and body, the court heard last week during a hearing to determine whether she planned the murder to obtain money.
She then stripped him naked, tied his legs together with a belt, wrapped him in a shower curtain, and buried him headfirst in the back garden of the house they shared.
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When he died in September 2010, she quickly transferred £140,000 from their joint account to her own.
When asked where Mr. Williamson was, she told the court “a number of elaborate lies,” including that he was at a funeral in Ireland.
She also forged his signature on paperwork to close a Royal Mail account in his name, claiming he was moving to a south coast care home.
According to the court, Mr. Williamson frequently gave money to Ms. Browning and agreed to sell his house so that he could move in with her and they could buy a house together.
He moved into her home, but he was murdered the next day or the day after.
Browning, on the other hand, stated that she killed Mr. Williamson out of rage and that she planned to turn herself in after her son’s wedding in October.
She claimed she became enraged when he told her he no longer wanted to live with her and instead wanted to relocate to Ireland.
The mother of two, who had previously been married twice, stated that she intended to confess as soon as her son’s wedding was over. “I thought that if I could just get through the weeks leading up to his wedding and get that wedding over with, I would confess,” she told the court.
“I love my son so much that I didn’t want to stand in the way of him marrying the woman of his dreams because I didn’t want to ruin his happiness.”
But today, Recorder of Guildford Judge Christopher Critchlow ruled that Browning planned the murder.
“I’m sure she didn’t kill him in a single fit of rage,” he said, “but given all of her lies and how they added up, I’m sure she did plan to kill him.”
“The Crown has convinced me that she intended to murder him, either for personal gain or to help others financially.”
“He was a small man who couldn’t fight what she did to him at his age.” So, this was a cruel killing of an elderly man who was easily harmed for money.’
Browning was visibly upset during the hearing. From the dock, he cried and yelled frequently.
As she was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 25 years, the 54-year-old woman told the judge, “May God forgive your soul.”
According to the court, after meeting Browning in 2007, Mr. Williamson changed his will to leave her the majority of his assets.
He later changed his mind after accusing her of stealing £1,200 from an account she assisted him in opening.
He claimed she took out £200 six times with a cash card he was unaware of, and then spent £1000 on Premium Bonds just a few days later.
Browning was never arrested, despite the fact that he denied stealing and claimed that Mr. Williamson took the money and then forgot about it.
The couple split up, according to the court, but she contacted him again in March 2009, and they agreed to sell their homes and buy a new one together.
Browning attempted to reconcile with her husband at one point, but it did not work out. She didn’t tell either of them about her relationship with the other.
Mr. Williamson sold his house and moved in with Browning on September 10. According to the prosecution, she murdered him on the same day. She claimed she murdered him the next day.
The judge ruled in favor of the Crown today because he was convinced Browning planned the murder ahead of time.
“I’m sure he wanted her to take care of him, cook for him, and clean for him when he met her for the first time in 2007 and again after 2009, and he was willing to pay her a lot of money to do so.”
In 2007, she realized he didn’t spend much time with his family and that getting to know him would be beneficial.
She had more power than he did in 2007 and again in 2010 because he was in love with her and wanted her to care for him.
“I think she’s worried about money and her future, especially now that her hip problems are worsening,” I explained.
Browning’s claim that she transferred money from Mr. Williamson’s account after he died because she was concerned about the bank’s stability was “incongruent” if she had intended to turn herself in, he said.
