Tanya Williams

"A very tragic accident occurred," Tanya Williams told The Associated Press in her first extensive interview since the Feb. 14 death of limousine driver Costas Christofi.

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The 34-year-old Williams is charged with manslaughter in Christofi's death at Williams' 40-room mansion in Alexandria Township.

Prosecutors say Williams was recklessly handling his 12-gauge shotgun and that he tried to make the shooting look like a suicide.

Williams could get more than 24 years in prison.He is free on $270,000 bail.No trial date has been set.

"Our strongest desire is that people realize who Jayson is - that he's a good man - and that they don't rush to judgment," his wife said last week.

She met him in college and they married about a year ago.She was out the night of the shooting.

The 6-foot-10 Williams was once among the NBA's best rebounders, but leg injuries ended his career and he retired from the New Jersey Nets in 2000.Since the shooting, he has been suspended from his job as an NBA analyst for NBC.

"Our strongest desire is that people realize who Jayson is - that he's a good man," Tanya Williams said.

"A very tragic accident occurred," Tanya Williams told The Associated Press in her first extensive interview since the Feb. 14 death of limousine driver Costas Christofi.

...
The 34-year-old Williams is charged with manslaughter in Christofi's death at Williams' 40-room mansion in Alexandria Township.

Prosecutors say Williams was recklessly handling his 12-gauge shotgun and that he tried to make the shooting look like a suicide.

Williams could get more than 24 years in prison.He is free on $270,000 bail.No trial date has been set.

"Our strongest desire is that people realize who Jayson is - that he's a good man - and that they don't rush to judgment," his wife said last week.

She met him in college and they married about a year ago.She was out the night of the shooting.

The 6-foot-10 Williams was once among the NBA's best rebounders, but leg injuries ended his career and he retired from the New Jersey Nets in 2000.Since the shooting, he has been suspended from his job as an NBA analyst for NBC.

"A very tragic accident occurred," Tanya Williams told The Associated Press last week."Jayson doesn't read the newspapers, nor does he watch the TV, and so how things have played out in the media is of very, very little significance to us now.The facts will come out.That's what we know."

Williams, 34, is charged with manslaughter in the death Feb. 14 of Costas Christofi at the former basketball star's 40-room mansion in Alexandria Township.Prosecutors say that Williams was recklessly handling his 12-gauge shotgun and that he tried to make the shooting look like a suicide.

Williams could get more than 24 years in prison.He is free $270,000 bail.No trial date has been set.

"Our strongest desire is that people realize who Jayson is - that he's a good man - and that they don't rush to judgment," said his wife, who met her husband in college and married him about a year ago.She was out the night of the shooting.

The 6-foot-10 Williams was once among the NBA's best rebounders, but leg injuries ended his career and he retired from the New Jersey Nets in 2000.Since the shooting, he has been suspended from his job as an NBA analyst for NBC.

2002-04-29 17:00:00 GMT

Copyright 2002 The Associated Press All Rights Reserved.

"A very tragic accident occurred," Tanya Williams told The Associated Press last week."Jayson doesn't read the newspapers, nor does he watch the TV, and so how things have played out in the media is of very, very little significance to us now.The facts will come out.That's what we know."

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Williams, 34, is charged with manslaughter in the death Feb. 14 of Costas Christofi at the former basketball star's 40-room mansion in Alexandria Township.Prosecutors say that Williams was recklessly handling his 12-gauge shotgun and that he tried to make the shooting look like a suicide.

Williams could get more than 24 years in prison.He is free $270,000 bail.No trial date has been set.

"Our strongest desire is that people realize who Jayson is -- that he's a good man -- and that they don't rush to judgment," said his wife, who met her husband in college and married him about a year ago.She was out the night of the shooting.

The 6-foot-10 Williams was once among the NBA's best rebounders, but leg injuries ended his career and he retired from the New Jersey Nets in 2000.Since the shooting, he has been suspended from his job as an NBA analyst for NBC.

Copyright © 2002, The Associated Press

"He's going to buy his way out of this," Joseph Alexander, a longtime friend of the driver, Costas Christofi, said of Williams.
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Christofi, 55, was found dead Thursday morning with a gunshot wound to his chest in a bedroom of Williams' 65-acre New Jersey estate.

Christofi, who family members and friends said had turned his life around after a long drug and alcohol addiction, had driven Williams and several members of the Harlem Globetrotters to dinner before joining them on a tour of Williams' Alexandria Township estate Wednesday night.

Prosecutors believe Christofi was fatally wounded by a shotgun that belonged to Williams.
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Williams, 33, a basketball commentator for NBC, has denied published reports that he accidentally shot Christofi while horsing around with the gun.Neither Williams, who was not at the wake yesterday, nor his attorney could be reached for comment.

But Williams' wife, Tanya, said her husband has been distraught and sleepless since the shooting.

Tanya Williams, who was not home at the time of the shooting, said she rushed home when her husband told her about the incident.

"As a family, we're going through the trauma," Tanya Williams told The Star-Ledger of Newark for yesterday's editions."Jayson is a very emotional and sensitive person.He wears his emotion on his sleeve."

She also expressed sympathy for Christofi's family and friends and said she and Jayson "will definitely reach out" to those affected.

But many mourners yesterday expressed anger at Williams, saying he has used his position to hinder the investigation.

"A very tragic accident occurred," Tanya Williams told The Associated Press in her first extensive interview since the Feb. 14 death of limousine driver Costas Christofi.

...
The 34-year-old Williams is charged with manslaughter in Christofi's death at Williams' 40-room mansion in Alexandria Township.

Prosecutors say Williams was recklessly handling his 12-gauge shotgun and that he tried to make the shooting look like a suicide.

Williams could get more than 24 years in prison.He is free on $270,000 bail.No trial date has been set.

"Our strongest desire is that people realize who Jayson is – that he's a good man – and that they don't rush to judgment," his wife said last week.

She met him in college and they married about a year ago.She was out the night of the shooting.

The 6-foot-10 Williams was once among the NBA's best rebounders, but leg injuries ended his career and he retired from the New Jersey Nets in 2000.Since the shooting, he has been suspended from his job as an NBA analyst for NBC.

"Our strongest desire is that people realize who Jayson is – that he's a good man," Tanya Williams said.

"A very tragic accident occurred," Tanya Williams told The Associated Press in her first extensive interview since the Feb. 14 death of limousine driver Costas Christofi.

...
The 34-year-old Williams is charged with manslaughter in Christofi's death at Williams' 40-room mansion in Alexandria Township.

Prosecutors say Williams was recklessly handling his 12-gauge shotgun and that he tried to make the shooting look like a suicide.

Williams could get more than 24 years in prison.He is free on $270,000 bail.No trial date has been set.

"Our strongest desire is that people realize who Jayson is -- that he's a good man -- and that they don't rush to judgment," his wife said last week.

She met him in college and they married about a year ago.She was out the night of the shooting.

The 6-foot-10 Williams was once among the NBA's best rebounders, but leg injuries ended his career and he retired from the New Jersey Nets in 2000.Since the shooting, he has been suspended from his job as an NBA analyst for NBC.

"Our strongest desire is that people realize who Jayson is -- that he's a good man," Tanya Williams said.

Trenton, N.J. (AP) - Jayson Williams' wife calls her husband "a good man" and says people should not rush to judgment about the shooting death at the former NBA star's estate."A very tragic accident occurred," Tanya Williams told The Associated Press in her first extensive interview since the Feb. 14 death of limousine driver Costas Christofi.

...
The 34-year-old Williams is charged with manslaughter in Christofi's death at Williams' 40-room mansion in Alexandria Township.

Prosecutors say Williams was recklessly handling his 12-gauge shotgun and that he tried to make the shooting look like a suicide.

Williams could get more than 24 years in prison.He is free on $270,000 bail.No trial date has been set.

"Our strongest desire is that people realize who Jayson is - that he's a good man - and that they don't rush to judgment," his wife said last week.

She met him in college and they married about a year ago.She was out the night of the shooting.

The 6-foot-10 Williams was once among the NBA's best rebounders, but leg injuries ended his career and he retired from the New Jersey Nets in 2000.Since the shooting, he has been suspended from his job as an NBA analyst for NBC.

"Our strongest desire is that people realize who Jayson is - that he's a good man," Tanya Williams said.