The Murder of Shelley Nance
For this case, I watched an episode of On the Case with Paula Zahn. It’s season 5 episode 13, titled ‘The Art of Murder.’
A talented art student is killed in her dorm room.
Background
Samantha ‘Shelley’ Nance was the youngest daughter of three, and was very close to her parents and sisters.
Shelley’s passion for art started at a young age. She earned a scholarship to the Art Institute of Dallas after placing 4th in a national art contest. At the time of her death, she was in her sophomore year, and lived in an off campus apartment.
Shelley Nance
A piece of Shelley’s artwork
The Crime Scene
On September 10, 2009, Shelley’s parents Sam and Cynthia contacted their daughters. Only two of them answered, but their youngest, Shelley didn't.
By the next morning, Shelley still hadn’t contacted her family. They contacted her school, and learned that Shelley hadn’t been to class. Her roommate Ashley Olvera agreed to go home, and check on her.
Ashley entered the apartment, and called out to Shelley. She then entered her room, and found Shelley in a pool of blood on her bed. She contacted the police.
Shelley was pronounced dead. She had been stabbed over 40 times, mostly in the neck and back. There was no forced entry, or sign of a robbery. The police believed that Shelley had been killed by someone she knew.
A school official contacted Shelley’s family, but didn't tell them much information. Her parents had to drive several hours home thinking of what could have possibly happened to their daughter.
The Autopsy
During the investigation, the police didn’t understand why Shelley didn’t put up much of a fight. The crime scene was obviously very violent, and in complete disarray.
The police believed, and later it was confirmed, that Shelley had been asleep when she was attacked. There was a small amount of blood found in the bathroom sink, and bathtub. The police believed that the killer had been careful, and tried to clean up.
Shelley’s records from her computer showed that she had turned her computer off at 6am on Thursday morning, and her roommate Ashley said she had left around 9am. Shelley’s time of death was between 9am, and when Ashley returned to check on Shelley.
The medical examiner found something odd on Shelley’s body during the autopsy. On her arm was a piece of blue material, which was sent in for testing. (More on that later!)
The Boyfriend
The first person that the police wanted to speak to was Ashley. She was the roommate, and she had access to the apartment.
During an intense questioning, Ashley never changed her story. She said Shelley was her friend, and she didn’t have a reason to want her dead.
The police determined that Ashley had slept in the apartment on Thursday night, when Shelley was already dead. Ashley said it wasn’t unusual for them not to see each other for a day or two.
Ashley was eventually ruled out, but she did mention that Shelley had a boyfriend, a socially awkward student named Nathan Schuck.
According to Ashley, Shelley and Nathan had been dating about two months. They liked to play video games, and watch movies together, but often showed no affection.
Shelley’s mom said that just a few weeks before she died, Shelley had mentioned that she wanted to break things off with Nathan. The police now had a possible motive and suspect for their case.
Nathan’s Story
Nathan was brought in for questioning. The police asked him what he knew about Shelley’s death. He said that he knew she was found in her bed, and that she had been cut on her neck.
The police then asked Nathan where he had been on Thursday, the day of the murder. Nathan said that his mom had dropped him off at school at 9am, where he did homework until his class at 3pm.
The police checked Nathan for injuries. He had a few scratches on his chest, but claimed he did that to himself. He maintained his innocence, and agreed to give DNA, and for the police to search his apartment.
Inside the apartment, the police found a box of knives, which Nathan collected. They also found a Ziplock bag, which had a red substance inside. Nathan said that the bag was not in his bathroom when he showered on the day of the murder. He even accused the police of planting it. He stopped the search, and asked for a lawyer.
The substance was tested, and it came back as being Shelley’s blood.
A Love Triangle
The police had Nathan come into the station again for questioning. Nathan brought his lawyer. The police were stunned when Nathan’s alibi checked out. Nathan then told the police about his roommate 26-year-old Daniel Willyam.
Nathan told the police that Daniel had access to his bathroom. He also said Daniel was controlling, and jealous of his relationship with Shelley. Nathan believed Daniel liked him, and said Daniel would say things like “I’m doing this because I love you.”
Multiple friends of Nathan and Shelley’s said it appeared as if Nathan and Daniel’s relationship was more than just roommates. They also mentioned that Shelley knew that Daniel didn’t like her, and that she was weirded out by him. Daniel would get mad if she and Nathan didn’t invite him out on their dates.
The Evidence
The police asked Daniel to come in for questioning. He was now their person of interest.
The police asked Daniel where he had been on the day of the murder. Daniel said that he had gone to Walmart to purchase soap and hair dye.
The surveillance footage was obtained. Daniel can be seen on tape at 10:12am purchasing soap, hair dye, and blue latex gloves. The blue latex gloves looked an awful lot like the material that was found on Shelley’s arm.
A sample of the same kind of gloves purchased by Daniel, was tested, and compared to the material found on Shelley. It was similar enough to have been the same type of gloves that Daniel had purchased.
The police also learned from Ashley, Shelley’s roommate, and Daniel’s good friend, that Daniel was texting her constantly on Thursday morning. He sent her 13 messages between 10:30-10:37am, and then the messages stopped for an hour and a half.
Ashley told the police that Daniel had recently borrowed her car, and had access to her keys. The police believed that Daniel had made a copy of the keys to the apartment, which would explain why there was no sign of forced entry.
Two months after Shelley was killed, Daniel was arrested, and charged with first degree murder.
The Trial and Conviction
On November 1, 2011, Daniel went on trial.
The police and prosecution learned that Daniel had a history of violence. He had threatened to kill someone before with a knife.
The defense said that Nathan was the real killer, and that Daniel was framed.
The prosecution said that Nathan wouldn’t have been capable of murder, and portrayed him as a scared little boy, who couldn’t even drive, cook, or do his own laundry.
Daniel Willyam was found guilty of first degree murder. He was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole after 30 years. Daniel maintains his innocence, and believes he was framed.
Daniel Willyam
Other
Shelley’s family created the Shelley Nance Memorial Art Scholarship. Each year a college scholarship is given to a student at Italy High School in Italy, Texas, where Shelley had attended. The scholarship is for students who are looking to pursue a degree in art.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I probably say this in every other post, but there are too many cases out there like this. A relationship blossoms between two people, and another one gets jealous, and has to take out the one believed to be standing in the way. I’m not sure if Daniel made up the whole relationship in his head, or if Nathan was interested in Daniel as well. Regardless, Shelley was talented, and was taken way too soon. I hope Daniel won’t be released on parole because he has proven time and time again, that he’s a violent individual.
Sources
https://thecinemaholic.com/shelley-nance-murder-where-is-daniel-willyam-now/
https://dallasvoice.com/gay-navy-pastry-chef-guilty-murdering-roommates-girlfriend-dallas/
https://edmund-the-true-crime.tumblr.com/post/163926706983/the-murder-of-shelly-nance
https://starcasm.net/dateline-infatuation-daniel-willyam-killed-shelley-nance/
https://2paragraphs.com/2015/03/art-student-shelley-nance-killed-by-boyfriends-gay-jealous-roommate/
