A man was arrested after allegedly hiring a contract killer to murder his ex-girlfriend and her former boyfriend – having left a positive review online for the business of one of the men hired to do the job.
Federal prosecutors have alleged that Erik Charles Maund, a partner in the Maund Automotive Group in Austin, Texas, paid more than $750,000 to three men to kill his former partner and her estranged boyfriend.
Holly Williams, 33, and William Lanway, 36, were found shot to death in a car on 12 March 2020.
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The vehicle had rolled down a hill before crashing into a tree at a construction site.
According to the US Department of Justice, Maund – who is married – had reached out to ex Williams a month before about seeing one another on his forthcoming trip to Nashville, Tennessee. Her estranged partner Lanway is believed to heard about the message, and then got in touch with Maund asking for hush money, threatening to expose the relationship if he did not receive it.
Court documents say Maund then enlisted the services of Gilad Peled, who owns Speartip Security Services in Austin, Bryon Brockway and Adam Carey, tasking them with killing Williams and Lanway.
The documents add that he withdrew $15,000 from his bank account on the same day that an ‘intelligence report’ was delivered to Peled.
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Since the killings, someone by the name of Erik Maund left a five-star review for Speartip Security Services online, endorsing the company for ‘professionalism, quality, responsiveness, value’.
“Speartip is very professional and on top of it,” the review said.
“They get the job done in an expedited time. Couldn’t imagine using anyone else!!”
Another review from someone called Bryan Brockway – who also gave five stars – added: “Speartip Security Group was very professional in the service they provided us. It was easy to do business with them, and the security provided was top of the line.
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“I would highly recommend them to anyone who is looking for VIP driving or protection. They responded quickly to all of my concerns and immediately covered my needs.”
After the reviews appeared online, Maund, Peled, Brockway and Carey were all arrested.
In a statement, Nashville PD Chief John Drake said: “This investigation began with the discovery of two bodies inside a vehicle on Good Friday 2020.
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“Outstanding investigative work, led by Detectives Patrick Cuthbertson and David Willover, led to multiple leads that drew our attention to other states. Realizing this very complex case reached far outside of Nashville, our team enlisted the help of the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Our close relationship with our federal partners led to the indictment and arrest of the four individuals.”
According to People, if convicted, the defendants face up to life in prison.
Featured Image Credit: Metropolitan Nashville Police DepartmentTopics: US News