FREDERICK, Md. – Ruben Terod Williams, 40, was sentenced to life in prison Friday in Frederick County Circuit Court for the 2022 fatal stabbing of Mary Alice Seward.
Williams was convicted of first-degree murder on November 22, 2024, for the killing that occurred after a dispute over a drug transaction. The Honorable Judge Scott Rolle presided over the case and handed down the sentence, opting for life imprisonment without parole.
On December 31, 2022, Seward, 41, was found with a fatal stab wound after being transported to Frederick Health Hospital. Medical personnel pronounced her dead after efforts to save her life were unsuccessful. Investigators traced the stabbing to a confrontation near Linden Avenue and Route 40 in Frederick, where Seward had been seated in her vehicle.
According to evidence presented during the trial, Williams demanded money back from Seward after a disagreement over cocaine purchased by Williams’ group. Witness testimony revealed Williams threatened Seward and, upon her refusal, stabbed her in the chest, fatally piercing her heart.
“This was a horrible stabbing committed by a horrible person with a horrible record,” said Frederick County State’s Attorney Charlie Smith, noting the prosecution’s initial pursuit of a sentence of life without parole.
The case was investigated by detectives from the Frederick Police Department, led by Detective Stephen Radtke, with support from multiple law enforcement officials.