Dateline: Secrets Uncovered - Where is Daniel Willyam now?

On September 11, 2009, a student from the Art Institute of Dallas was fatally stabbed 42 times inside her apartment by her boyfriend's roommate, Daniel Willyam. The 26-year-old gay ex-Navy pastry chef allegedly harboured feelings for Shelley Nance's new boyfriend, Nathan Schuck.

Daniel felt overprotective about the socially awkward Nathan and he was also reported to have been jealous of Shelley for taking up Nathan's time. He was tied to the case with the help of surveillance footage from a Walmart close to Shelley's place, where he was spotted purchasing blue disposable gloves - the fragment of which was found on Shelley's body.

The Dateline: Secrets Uncovered episode, titled Infatuation, explores the freak murder as the synopsis reads:

"A talented, young art student was murdered. The killer left no fingerprints and no DNA. Police zeroed in on three fellow students and, soon, the dark portrait of a killer began to emerge."

The episode re-airs on December 13, 2023, at 9 pm EST on Oxygen exclusively.

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Who was Daniel Willyam?

Daniel Willyam was born in Indonesia, South East Asia and studied Psychology at the University of Trisakti before he moved to the United States. He had served in the US Navy as a pastry chef for six years, after which he moved on to pursue an Interactive Media Design course at Art Institute of Dallas.

A still of Nathan Schuck and Daniel Willyam (Image via MSNBC)

Daniel Willyam was 26 years of age and he shared his North Dallas apartment with the alleged 20-year-old socially awkward Nathan Schuck.

Schuck had been dating Samantha "Shelley" Nance for about two months and their relationship became quite a matter of concern for Daniel, who found himself to be overtly attached to Nathan.

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Why was Daniel Willyam arrested?

While Shelley Nance's flatmate Ashley Olvera and her boyfriend Nathan Schuck were interrogated, the police from the Dallas Police Department found a solid lead and motive to the crime after noticing Daniel Willyam's name come up multiple times during the interrogations.

Nathan had agreed to provide the investigators with his DNA sample and permitted the police to search his house. The investigators discovered a bag, smeared with blood inside his bathroom, which came back positive for Shelley's blood. He argued that the bag was foreign and he had not spotted it while taking a shower.

A still of Willyam (Image via Dallas Morning News)

After Nathan was ruled out, the suspicion shifted to Daniel, with Ashley's statement of his erratic behaviour regarding Nathan. Daniel was found to be shopping at a Walmart close to Shelley's Lake Highlands apartment. He purchased hair color, soap, and a pair of blue disposable gloves.

The gloves were matched to the piece of blue material that was found on Shelley's body. Besides, there were marks of blood on the washbasin and the bathtub which indicated someone trying to get rid of the evidence.

Furthermore, Ashley gave the police access to text messages and Daniel was observed to have an abrupt chat with Ashley but with a one-hour gap.

He had borrowed Ashley's car and had access to her car keys. Additionally, Daniel also had a copy of Shelley's apartment keys.

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Where is Daniel Willyam now?

Daniel Willyam was arrested and held at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center, with bail set at $2.5 million, per The Dallas Morning News. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder on November 4, 2011. Willyam may be eligible for parole after 30 years.

He remains incarcerated at the Jim Ferguson Unit in Midway, Texas, according to prison records.