A Texas jury convicted a 45-year-old mother dubbed the ‘black widow of Keller’ of murder Monday for shooting dead her husband in a plot to cash in on his insurance policy. Michele Williams was also found guilty of one count of evidence tampering, but the jury acquitted her of a second count of tampering that related to her husband's corpse. Williams, who prosecutors say tried to frame someone else for the 2011 killing of her husband Greg Williams in their home in an exclusive neighborhood in the Fort Worth suburb of Keller, faces up to life in prison. Guilty: Defendant Michele Williams, pictured in court Tuesday, has been convicted of murder in the shooting death of her husband in 2011 . Big decision: It took the jury panel seven hours to convict the 45-year-old, seen here in court Tuesday, of a murder charge and one count of evidence tempering . The penalty phase of the murder trial gets under way Tuesday and is expected to take the whole day. The jury panel deliberated for about seven hours before returning its verdict finding Williams guilty of murder and tampering with evidence in the form of the firearm used in the killing. Mrs Williams broke down in tears when Judge George Gallagher announced the guilty verdicts at around 6pm Monday, Star-Telegram reported. Prosecutors have said Williams wiped down the .45-caliber handgun that killed her husband and cleaned off his hands to make 40-year-old Greg Williams’ death look like a suicide. Lawyers for Williams said in closing arguments there was no murder and Greg Williams took his own life because he was depressed due to debt and the recent deaths of his best friend and grandmother. ‘They want you to believe she sneaked into the bedroom and shot him over money,’ defense attorney Cody Cofer said in his closing statement. ‘It doesn’t make sense.’ Prosecutor Sheila Wynn called Michele Williams a habitual liar who continually changed her version of events. ‘Who does this?’ Wynn said in comments to the jury. ‘Someone who is trying to blame everyone else, someone who is trying to get away with murder.’ Calling Williams ‘a cold-blooded killer,' prosecutor Jack Strickland accused her of trying to pull the wool on police, the public and the media. According to the prosecution, Williams was motivated by greed and stood to be the beneficiary of $800,000 from insurance money. Mrs Williams entered a guilty plea earlier this year, but she later decided to retract it and go on trial on charges of murder and evidence tempering. 'Black widow': Defendant Michele Williams pictured at her murder trial in the 396th Criminal District Court Tuesday in Fort Worth, Texas . Emotional: Michele Williams appears to wipe tears away during a presentation of photographs of her husband's body at the beginning of her trial . Evidence: Prosecutor Sheila Wynn uses photographs of the crime scene while questioning a police officer during Michele Williams' murder trial . The widow initially told police her husband was killed by a masked intruder that broke into their house in October 2011, but she then changed her story, claiming that she staged a home invasion to cover up Gregory Williams' suicide in order to spare their child's feelings. In their opening statement last Tuesday, prosecutors told the jury that Mrs Williams shot her husband in the head to get her hands on his life insurance. 'The motive was money. Tried-and-true, age-old money — greed,' assistant district attorney Jack Strickland said in court, according to CultureMap Dallas. Prosecutors stated that in the hours leading up to his violent death, Greg Williams fought with his wife over their finances and even slapped her in the face for spending a large amount of money that had been set aside as a down payment on a house. But Michele Williams’ defense team argued that Greg Williams' death was a suicide, and that the successful business owner was worth more alive than dead to his wife. William's defense team, including attorney Cody Cofer (left), argued that the woman had no reason to kill her husband . Attorney Clay Graham claimed that the victim was suffering from depression sparked by the loss of his grandmother and brother in law, and exacerbated by his persistent steroid use. The attorney told the court that when Michelle Williams found her husband dead from what he described as a self-inflicted gunshot wound, she 'panicked' and went with her first impulse to protect her 4-year-old daughter from psychological trauma by covering up her father's suicide. The court also heard last week from Michele Williams' adult son, Andrew O'Brien, who testified that his mother asked him to help her frame Greg Williams' ex-wife, Kathy, for his death, the station WFAA reported. Asked about his reaction to Michele Williams' unusual request, O'Brien, 26, said he was shocked but thought at the time that she was having a 'mental breakdown.' The twice-divorced Dallas-area woman dubbed in the media 'the black widow of Keller' was arrested in 2012 for the murder of Gregory Williams, who was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head in the couple's tony home. Initially, Mrs Williams claimed that an intruder broke in, hit her over the head with a wrench and then murdered her husband. Crocodile tears? With her nails freshly painted pink, Michele Williams, 44, tearfully talked about accepting a plea deal in connection to her husband's 2011 killing so that she could get out on parole sooner . But police found no sign of forced entry, so Michele Williams changed her story, alleging that her 40-year-old spouse took his own life, and that she covered up his suicide for the sake of their 4-year-old daughter. On a 911 call placed by Michele Williams October 13, 2011, the woman sounded hysterical and was sobbing so loudly that the emergency operator could hardly make out what she was saying. Happier times: Michele Williams pictured with her third husband, Gregory, on their wedding day - years before the 40-year-old man was found shot in the head . But in the course of a three-month investigation into the killing, police were able to untangle the wife’s web of lies. According to law enforcement, Mrs Williams sedated her husband and shot him from one foot away after turning up the volume on the TV in the affluent Dallas suburb of Keller. The couple’s child slept through the entire ordeal. The wife then allegedly struck herself with a wrench and made the 5,000-square-foot home seem like it was the site of a home invasion. Detectives noticed a number of details that did not add up: Michele Williams was fully dressed with her hair done when they came, even though she said she was sleeping; the gun used in the murder was found on the premises but had no fingerprints on it; and the $20,000 in cash the couple had in the house had not been stolen. In the days after the murder, those close to the newly minted widow were surprised by her conduct and demeanor, CultureMap Dallas reported.. The . very next day after the slaying, Michele went out for a big breakfast . at IHOP. She then took her children on a week-long vacation, where she . went to sports bars and out shopping for Halloween costumes. Williams . also wasted no time selling off her husband’s assets, including the . client list from his computer company and the Blueberries frozen yogurt . shop he had bought for her. Eight . months after Gregory's death, Michele started dating her older son's . friend Gene Wallis, a bodybuilder and fitness instructor 15 years her . junior. Together the . couple opened a Kettle Bell fitness studio in Bedford, which they have . been promoting online with Michele adopting the name Shelley. Crime scene: Police officers arrived at the Williamses' home in the affluent Dallas suburb of Keller after getting a 911 call from a hysterical-sounding Michele . Speaking to the Star-Telegram earlier this year, an emotional Michele Williams said that if she were to go on trial, her chances of being acquitted would have been about 50/50. 'It can go either way. Win big. Lose big,' she said. 'With a plea deal, I’m looking at a couple of years before I’m out for parole.' The 45-year-old mother pleaded guilty in October 2013 to tampering with evidence and deadly conduct. But after Williams declared in a jailhouse interview in February 2014 that she was innocent, a judge threw out the plea deal and set a trial date. The defendant now faces a life in prison if convicted. According to the prosecution, in the aftermath of the killing Williams tried to delay her sentencing by falsely claiming that she was pregnant with twins. She also allegedly told her boyfriend she needed to finish as many Bible study classes as possible to make herself look good during the trial. With her perfectly manicured nails freshly painted pink, a tearful Williams earlier this year described her marriage to Gregory – her third husband – as 'wonderful' and insisted that she still loves his 'so much.' Cougar: Eight months after her husband's violent death, Michele Williams (left) started dating her son's friend Gene Wallis (right), a bodybuilder and fitness instructor nearly 15 years her junior .
Prosecutors said Michele Williams killed husband Gregory to cash in on his $800,000 life insurance .
The defense argued that the 45-year-old covered up her depressed husband's suicide to protect their 4-year-old daughter .
It took the jury seven hours to convict Williams of murder and evidence tempering; she now faces life in prison .
Gregory Williams, 40, was found dead from gunshot wound to the head in October 2011 .
Wife Michele first claimed intruder came in, struck her in the head with a wrench and killed her husband .
Later said Mr Williams committed suicide and she made it look like murder so their daughter wouldn't know her father killed himself .
A Texas jury convicted a 45-year-old mother dubbed the ‘black widow of Keller’ of murder Monday for shooting dead her husband in a plot to cash in on his insurance policy. Michele Williams was also found guilty of one count of evidence tampering, but the jury acquitted her of a second count of tampering that related to her husband's corpse. Williams, who prosecutors say tried to frame someone else for the 2011 killing of her husband Greg Williams in their home in an exclusive neighborhood in the Fort Worth suburb of Keller, faces up to life in prison. Guilty: Defendant Michele Williams, pictured in court Tuesday, has been convicted of murder in the shooting death of her husband in 2011 . Big decision: It took the jury panel seven hours to convict the 45-year-old, seen here in court Tuesday, of a murder charge and one count of evidence tempering . The penalty phase of the murder trial gets under way Tuesday and is expected to take the whole day. The jury panel deliberated for about seven hours before returning its verdict finding Williams guilty of murder and tampering with evidence in the form of the firearm used in the killing. Mrs Williams broke down in tears when Judge George Gallagher announced the guilty verdicts at around 6pm Monday, Star-Telegram reported. Prosecutors have said Williams wiped down the .45-caliber handgun that killed her husband and cleaned off his hands to make 40-year-old Greg Williams’ death look like a suicide. Lawyers for Williams said in closing arguments there was no murder and Greg Williams took his own life because he was depressed due to debt and the recent deaths of his best friend and grandmother. ‘They want you to believe she sneaked into the bedroom and shot him over money,’ defense attorney Cody Cofer said in his closing statement. ‘It doesn’t make sense.’ Prosecutor Sheila Wynn called Michele Williams a habitual liar who continually changed her version of events. ‘Who does this?’ Wynn said in comments to the jury. ‘Someone who is trying to blame everyone else, someone who is trying to get away with murder.’ Calling Williams ‘a cold-blooded killer,' prosecutor Jack Strickland accused her of trying to pull the wool on police, the public and the media. According to the prosecution, Williams was motivated by greed and stood to be the beneficiary of $800,000 from insurance money. Mrs Williams entered a guilty plea earlier this year, but she later decided to retract it and go on trial on charges of murder and evidence tempering. 'Black widow': Defendant Michele Williams pictured at her murder trial in the 396th Criminal District Court Tuesday in Fort Worth, Texas . Emotional: Michele Williams appears to wipe tears away during a presentation of photographs of her husband's body at the beginning of her trial . Evidence: Prosecutor Sheila Wynn uses photographs of the crime scene while questioning a police officer during Michele Williams' murder trial . The widow initially told police her husband was killed by a masked intruder that broke into their house in October 2011, but she then changed her story, claiming that she staged a home invasion to cover up Gregory Williams' suicide in order to spare their child's feelings. In their opening statement last Tuesday, prosecutors told the jury that Mrs Williams shot her husband in the head to get her hands on his life insurance. 'The motive was money. Tried-and-true, age-old money — greed,' assistant district attorney Jack Strickland said in court, according to CultureMap Dallas. Prosecutors stated that in the hours leading up to his violent death, Greg Williams fought with his wife over their finances and even slapped her in the face for spending a large amount of money that had been set aside as a down payment on a house. But Michele Williams’ defense team argued that Greg Williams' death was a suicide, and that the successful business owner was worth more alive than dead to his wife. William's defense team, including attorney Cody Cofer (left), argued that the woman had no reason to kill her husband . Attorney Clay Graham claimed that the victim was suffering from depression sparked by the loss of his grandmother and brother in law, and exacerbated by his persistent steroid use. The attorney told the court that when Michelle Williams found her husband dead from what he described as a self-inflicted gunshot wound, she 'panicked' and went with her first impulse to protect her 4-year-old daughter from psychological trauma by covering up her father's suicide. The court also heard last week from Michele Williams' adult son, Andrew O'Brien, who testified that his mother asked him to help her frame Greg Williams' ex-wife, Kathy, for his death, the station WFAA reported. Asked about his reaction to Michele Williams' unusual request, O'Brien, 26, said he was shocked but thought at the time that she was having a 'mental breakdown.' The twice-divorced Dallas-area woman dubbed in the media 'the black widow of Keller' was arrested in 2012 for the murder of Gregory Williams, who was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head in the couple's tony home. Initially, Mrs Williams claimed that an intruder broke in, hit her over the head with a wrench and then murdered her husband. Crocodile tears? With her nails freshly painted pink, Michele Williams, 44, tearfully talked about accepting a plea deal in connection to her husband's 2011 killing so that she could get out on parole sooner . But police found no sign of forced entry, so Michele Williams changed her story, alleging that her 40-year-old spouse took his own life, and that she covered up his suicide for the sake of their 4-year-old daughter. On a 911 call placed by Michele Williams October 13, 2011, the woman sounded hysterical and was sobbing so loudly that the emergency operator could hardly make out what she was saying. Happier times: Michele Williams pictured with her third husband, Gregory, on their wedding day - years before the 40-year-old man was found shot in the head . But in the course of a three-month investigation into the killing, police were able to untangle the wife’s web of lies. According to law enforcement, Mrs Williams sedated her husband and shot him from one foot away after turning up the volume on the TV in the affluent Dallas suburb of Keller. The couple’s child slept through the entire ordeal. The wife then allegedly struck herself with a wrench and made the 5,000-square-foot home seem like it was the site of a home invasion. Detectives noticed a number of details that did not add up: Michele Williams was fully dressed with her hair done when they came, even though she said she was sleeping; the gun used in the murder was found on the premises but had no fingerprints on it; and the $20,000 in cash the couple had in the house had not been stolen. In the days after the murder, those close to the newly minted widow were surprised by her conduct and demeanor, CultureMap Dallas reported.. The . very next day after the slaying, Michele went out for a big breakfast . at IHOP. She then took her children on a week-long vacation, where she . went to sports bars and out shopping for Halloween costumes. Williams . also wasted no time selling off her husband’s assets, including the . client list from his computer company and the Blueberries frozen yogurt . shop he had bought for her. Eight . months after Gregory's death, Michele started dating her older son's . friend Gene Wallis, a bodybuilder and fitness instructor 15 years her . junior. Together the . couple opened a Kettle Bell fitness studio in Bedford, which they have . been promoting online with Michele adopting the name Shelley. Crime scene: Police officers arrived at the Williamses' home in the affluent Dallas suburb of Keller after getting a 911 call from a hysterical-sounding Michele . Speaking to the Star-Telegram earlier this year, an emotional Michele Williams said that if she were to go on trial, her chances of being acquitted would have been about 50/50. 'It can go either way. Win big. Lose big,' she said. 'With a plea deal, I’m looking at a couple of years before I’m out for parole.' The 45-year-old mother pleaded guilty in October 2013 to tampering with evidence and deadly conduct. But after Williams declared in a jailhouse interview in February 2014 that she was innocent, a judge threw out the plea deal and set a trial date. The defendant now faces a life in prison if convicted. According to the prosecution, in the aftermath of the killing Williams tried to delay her sentencing by falsely claiming that she was pregnant with twins. She also allegedly told her boyfriend she needed to finish as many Bible study classes as possible to make herself look good during the trial. With her perfectly manicured nails freshly painted pink, a tearful Williams earlier this year described her marriage to Gregory – her third husband – as 'wonderful' and insisted that she still loves his 'so much.' Cougar: Eight months after her husband's violent death, Michele Williams (left) started dating her son's friend Gene Wallis (right), a bodybuilder and fitness instructor nearly 15 years her junior .
shooting dead her husband in a plot to cash in on faces up to life in prison. Guilty: Defendant her husband in 2011 . Big decision: It took the jury panel seven hours to convict the 40-year-old Greg Williams’ death look like a on trial on charges of murder and evidence intruder that broke into their house in October hands on his life insurance. 'The motive was house. But Michele Williams’ defense team argued that Greg Williams' death was a suicide, and that protect her 4-year-old daughter from Williams, who was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head in the couple's tony home. Initially, hit her over the head with a wrench and then she covered up his suicide for the sake of their pictured with her third husband, Gregory, on