Boyfriend Sought in San Clemente Woman’s Killing

The boyfriend of a San Clemente woman is being sought for questioning after she was discovered dead in her condominium, sheriff’s officials said Wednesday.

Deborah Williams, 49, was reported missing over the weekend by her daughter, who grew concerned after her mother failed to answer the phone or open the door, authorities said. Williams was discovered dead about 7 p.m. Tuesday after the 26-year-old daughter hired a locksmith to open the condo, in the 1000 block of Calle del Cerro, officials said.

“She had been murdered in her bed,” said Jim Amormino, spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. He said the weapon was a sharp instrument, not found during a sweep of the complex Tuesday.

Williams suffered cuts to her neck and throat, he said. She may have been killed Saturday, the night neighbors heard screams from the unit, investigators said.

On Wednesday, deputies issued a bulletin to law enforcement agencies nationwide seeking the boyfriend, Maynard Hatleberg Jr., a 47-year-old carpenter known as “J.R.” around the 220-unit complex.

Hatleberg moved in with Williams about four years ago. Residents said they often heard the couple argue and that Williams was trying to break up with him.

“They’ve been arguing for years and it escalated lately to where he was getting real possessive and controlling,” said Glenn Dill, 45, a neighbor and Hatleberg’s employer for the last three years. “She wanted to kick him out because he wasn’t working lately.”

Dill said he went over to have drinks with Hatleberg after the couple argued last week and Williams left for a few days. Dill said Hatleberg cried because Williams wanted to leave him.

“She wanted him out of the house,” Dill said. “He wouldn’t have a place to go, and he couldn’t handle that.”

Williams had been on disability leave from her job as an office assistant at Irvine Valley College for two years, Amormino said. Neighbors said they often saw her gardening or playing with her terrier, Chloe.

Dill and his wife, Shellie, were walking Saturday night when they heard screams from Williams’ unit.

“My wife said to go in there and check it out, but I said, Nah, nah. I thought it was just another argument,” Dill said. “Now that I think of it, I should’ve gone in there.”

Amormino said Hatleberg may be with the dog and driving Williams’ car -- a champagne 1997 Toyota Camry with license plate 3WVJ566. Anyone with information is urged to call the Sheriff’s Department at (714) 647-7000.