Uloma Curry-Walker, 45, faces life in prison without parole for the November 3, 2013, murder of William Walker. Four months into her marriage, she asked her 17-year-old daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend to find someone to kill William. She was so anxious to pay off the debt she created through credit cards and loans, and collect his $100K life insurance policy, she didn’t bother to check to see if she was even the beneficiary. Well, she wasn’t. The firefighter had not changed his policy over from his first wife, who actually got the payout in the months after his death.
Curry-Walker gave her daughter’s boyfriend, Chad Padgett, a $1,000 down payment to carry out the slaying. Padgett hired his cousin, Chris Hein, who initially failed in his attempt to kill Walker. Hein sought the assistance of Ryan Dorty to carry out the killing.
The murder attempt was orchestrated around the newlyweds move to a new home outside Cleveland. Curry-Walker sent William out to get McDonald’s while they were packing. When he returned, he was ambushed by and shot four times by Dorty.
In an attempt to cover her tracks, Curry-Walker wrote a confession letter the day before she turned herself in to police, in which she said she killed Walker because he was abusive.
The daughter’s recollection differed from her mom’s, saying her mother told her that “no one would believe I would hire a bunch of kids to kill someone when I know people that could.” And she also testified that she was riding in a car with Curry-Walker and Padgett when her mother first mentioned the plot.
As part of a plea deal, Curry-Walker’s daughter, Padgett, Hein and Dorty testified against Curry-Walker at trial for their roles in the murder conspiracy.
Hein agreed to a sentence of 18 years to life; Padgett 28 years to life; and Dorty 23 years to life.
Curry-Walker’s daughter walked free after serving a month in a juvenile detention center.
Curry-Walker was found guilty of aggravated murder, conspiracy, felonious assault and other charges on Friday, July 7, 2017, in a Cleveland court. It was the couple’s fourth wedding anniversary.
Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 8.
