Early Years of John Williams' Life

The woman who discovered Corporal Eugene Cole's body once provided a home to the man suspected of killing him.

WGME-TV talked with the homeowner, Kimberly Sirois, who says she helped to raise John Williams in better days. She said Williams had lived with her all through high school, and had also stayed with her last fall. She thought of him as a son, when he was president of his high school class and before drugs took over his life. Back then, she said, he was an outdoorsy kid with a good sense of humor, who did well in school. He moved to Bangor to work as a welder, and spent several years working at Old Town Canoe.

Sirois says Williams was in contact with her family until about two years ago, when hard drugs started causing him to miss work and withdraw from his social connections. She kicked him out last fall when she realized he was doing heroin and letting his girlfriend stay overnight. That's when Williams moved to Madison.

It was around 7:15 a.m. Wednesday when Sirois walked outside to check out a helicopter flying overhead and noticed Cole's body laying on her side yard, near the driveway. She said she walked over and asked if he was okay, and then started screaming and waved down some officers who were at the fire station across the street. At that point, she had no idea that Williams was suspected of killing the deputy. When investigators searched her home and car, they told her they found body armor and a rifle in the vehicle that didn't belong to her.

The manhunt continues today for John Williams, with the FBI offering up to $20,000 in reward money for information leading to his arrest. He's considered armed and very dangerous. Residents are urged to call 911 immediately if they see him, and NOT to approach him.

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