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Indeed, weaving an indictment, and ultimately a conviction, out of such slender threads may prove difficult for Fulton County District Attorney Lewis Slaton. Just a few days before he authorized Williams' arrest, Slaton had told reporters that the case was too weak to warrant the move. Why the D.A. changed his mind was the source of much speculation. According to some reports, Slaton's hand had been forced at a meeting he attended at the mansion of Georgia Governor George Busbee two days before Williams' arrest. Sources in both Atlanta and Washington confirmed that such a gathering had taken place and that the possibility of replacing Slaton with a special prosecutor had been discussed. Slaton sidesteps the subject: "If I had attended a meeting in the Governor's mansion, there would not have been any pressure I recognized as such. Nobody ever gave me a threat, ultimatum or deadline."
Williams' increasingly erratic behavior may have sparked the decision to make an arrest. The night before he was brought in, the suspect had led a police surveillance team on a chase through the city, driving past the homes of Mayor Maynard Jackson, Nathaniel Cater's father and finally Public Safety Commissioner Lee Brown, where he paused to honk his horn and shout. In addition, the possibility that Williams might attempt to flee was raised by reports that his father had requested information about a charter pilot at a local airport.
As Williams awaits the grand jury hearing ("within a month, but not within a week," says Slaton), investigators continue to seek evidence linking him to Cater's murder and some of the other 27 deaths. Officials are particularly intrigued by his possible links to Atlanta's gay underworld: some of the victims are believed to have been homosexual prostitutes. They are also looking into the suspect's mysterious talent-recruiting and recording business, which after three years of operation and considerable investment had yet to produce a record. Williams auditioned and courted hundreds of young black singers, mostly boys. Observed one suspicious business associate: "He had the perfect setup."