A federal jury has returned guilty verdicts against three men indicted in a disturbing murder-for-hire scheme that resulted in the deaths of a Nashville couple. The guilty parties, Erik Maund, Bryon Brockway, and Adam Carey, were convicted of murder-for-hire with death resulting, after a trial that lasted over two weeks. Additionally, Brockway and Carey were also found guilty of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and kidnapping with death resulting. The fourth member of the conspiracy, Gilad Peled, had previously pleaded guilty to the same charges and agreed to cooperate with the United States by testifying at trial.
The events leading up to the murders are truly shocking. It all originated with Erik Maund’s extramarital affair with Holly Williams of Nashville. In March of 2020, William Lanway attempted to extort Maund over his affair with Williams. As a response, Maund hired Peled, who then hired Brockway and Carey to travel to Nashville to investigate Lanway and Williams. It was revealed during the trial that when Lanway’s efforts to extort Maund persisted, Maund agreed to pay Brockway and Carey $100,000 each to murder Lanway and Williams.
The evidence presented at trial showed that Maund wired Peled, who acted as the middleman for the scheme, $150,000 on March 12, 2020, the day the murders occurred. On the same day, Brockway and Carey kidnapped Williams and Lanway from outside of Williams’ apartment complex in West Nashville and drove them to a nearby construction site where they were murdered. The victims’ bodies were found on the morning of March 13, 2020 inside Williams’ vehicle. Over the course of the next year, Maund wired Peled an additional $900,000 as payment for the scheme and Peled withdrew cash to pay Brockway and Carey for their roles.
United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis commended the detectives of the Metro Nashville Police Department and agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their thorough investigation that made this outcome possible. The FBI Memphis Field Office Special Agent in Charge, Douglas DePodesta, also emphasized the commitment to bringing those who devalue life to justice.
The investigation was a collaborative effort between the Metro Nashville Police Department and the FBI, with the police Chief John Drake acknowledging the outstanding investigative work that led to justice for the victims in federal court.
As a result of the guilty verdict, Maund, Brockway, and Carey all face a mandatory life sentence in federal prison. They will be set for separate sentencing hearings sometime in 2024. Peled, who cooperated with the authorities, will also be sentenced in 2024, with his cooperation being taken into consideration as part of his ultimate sentence by the U.S. District Judge William L. Campbell, Jr.
The disturbing nature of this murder-for-hire scheme underscores the importance of vigilant law enforcement efforts in bringing violent criminals to justice. The outcome of this trial sends a clear message about the commitment of law enforcement agencies to hold perpetrators of heinous acts accountable. The collaborative efforts of various law enforcement agencies have brought a sense of closure to the tragic loss of the Nashville couple.
