Apparent signs of sexual abuse on the victims body might have happened while she was floating in the water, exposed to the elements. Published: 4:25 PM EDT September 25, 2019 Updated: 8:35 PM EDT September 25, 2019 Almost two weeks after his trial began, Granville Ritchie has been found guilty of the sexual battery and. Public housing tenants ask if old maps are accurate. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. "For most parents, that moment passes but for a few unfortunate ones, it doesn't. Demerson showed poise on the witness stand, her voice never breaking as she talked about Felecias birth, how she liked to feed ducks in the neighborhood pond, and how she sang in her church youth choir. In October 2020, she pleaded guilty to lying to law enforcement and was later sentenced to 75 days in jail and five years of probation. According to court documents Granville Ritchie would abduct, sexually assault and murder Felecia Williams. pic.twitter.com/ICiF7E3rSA. No one spoke on behalf of Ritchie during Friday's testimony. During Friday's hearing, Felecia's mother addressed the court, calling for Ritchie's death. She quoted a Bible verse, Matthew 18:6. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. If convicted, he faces a possible death sentence. He told me he needed to do something. Ritchie has difficulty completing complicated tasks, the result of head trauma he suffered during incidents including car accidents, Eisenstein said. "I am here to bury this Jamaican today," she said during the hearing. I wish you all of the best.". She takes medication for depression. I feel like death is appropriate. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. There will be no corporeal redemption for you your physical being, your person, Sisco said as she gave the sentence, the Tampa Bay Times reported. How did Vladimir Putin lose half of Russia's elite paratroopers? I feel like death is appropriate. In defending the death penalty, Tampa prosecutor Scott Harmon told the jury, in part: Can you imagine the fear of knowing that her life is ending and she is in pain all over her body? ", Felecia Demerson holds up an image of her daughter, Felecia Williams, during the sentencing hearing for her killer. If the inmate wins on appeal, he will be awarded a new sentencing trial to determine whether he is re-sentenced to life imprisonment or the death penalty. The court rejected a series of arguments raised by Granville Ritchie, who was convicted in the 2014 murder of the girl, identified in the court opinion by the initials F.W., Felecia Williams. If anyone causes one of these little ones those who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea., That scripture is talking to someone that knows better, Demerson said. Learn More{{/message}}. That argument is considered legally incorrect because jurors are expected to consider a verdict objectively based on evidence alone, rather than their personal feelings. Testimony is expected to continue Friday. Eboni Wiley says she had just started dating Ritchie in 2014 when the two went to pick up her. But the judge told them to speak up if what they hear becomes overwhelming. When Wiley returned almost an hour later, Ritchie claimed that he gave Felecia money for her to go buy candy at a nearby CVS store and that she had not returned. "May God have mercy on your soul, Mr. I dont know what your spiritual leanings arehowever, if you do everpray to a higher power, either now or at some point, and you truly seek forgivenessI hope that it is granted. #GranvilleRitchie Wiley left to get marjuana at the request of Ritchie. That pain would have been greater for a girl. The child's mother and a judge had some parting words. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Since Felecias death, Demerson said, she has been unable to return to work. During the trial, Ritchies girlfriend testified that Ritchie asked to use her car. A Florida man faces the death penalty after being convicted of murdering a 9-year-old girl when she was left alone with him in 2014, PEOPLE confirms. Buckwalter claimed that the prosecutor was simply describing Ritchies actions to jurors and made a brusque comment. Wiley went to buy marijuana and Ritchie then strangled and assaulted the nine-year-old, prosecutors claimed. Wiley was a witness at Ritchies trial and was accused of lying during the missing person investigation. A doctor who took the stand Tuesday disagreed with the medical examiner's findings on the cause of death. Demersons testimony brought back feelings of grief, she said. Have a tip or story idea? Instead, it becomes a first step of a neverending nightmare you never wake from. Wiley was witness in Ritchie's trial, and was charged with lying during a missing person investigation. Granville Ritchie, 41, was convicted of killing and raping Felecia Williams in Florida in May 2014. You have entered an incorrect email address! Hyman Eisenstein, a psychologist who spent 32 hours examining Ritchie in jail, testified for the defense. The child's mother and a judge had some parting words. A jury found Granville Ritchie guilty of murder and rape Wednesday afternoon in the 2014 killing of 9-year-old Felecia Williams. Granville Ritchie was sentenced to. Authorities said she originally lied to them during the investigation into Williams disappearance. 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Prosecutors said Ritchie had been dating Felecia's neighbor, Eboni Wiley, in May 2014. First, I am in awe of your bravery and your tireless advocacy for your daughter. Investigators said, back in 2014, Ritchie assaulted and strangled young Felecia Williams before stuffing her body in a suitcase and dumping her into the water near the Courtney Campbell Causeway. Learn More{{/message}}, {{#message}}{{{message}}}{{/message}}{{^message}}It appears your submission was successful. PREVIOUS:Granville Ritchie found guilty of murder in 2014 killing of 9-year-old Felecia Williams. During closings, defense lawyer Bjorn Brunvandpointed out expert testimony that apparently showed there was no evidence of sexual battery. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. The seven justices of the state Supreme Court did not reach a decision in Ritchie's case this week. After four hours of deliberation, the jury found Ritchie guilty of first-degree murder, sexual battery and aggravated child abuse. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. As the states case continued, the jury was presented with photos showing Felecias injuries as they were during the first phase of the trial. Even though the server responded OK, it is possible the submission was not processed. "The child victim suffered a horrendous, physically painful, psychologically torturous death,"Hillsborough Circuit Judge Michelle Sisco said with her voice cracking, before removing her glasses to wipe away tears. When she returned Ritchie told her he let Sugarplum go to the CVS to get candy. Im not like everyone else, bro. At the time, they said she was left alone with Ritchie after the woman who was babysitting her left to purchase drugs. In September 2019, all 12 jurors agreed Ritchie, who grew up in Jamaica,should face the death penalty. 17:14 EST 05 Nov 2021. A convicted child rapist and murderer is appealing his death sentence in Florida arguing that the prosecutor violated the so-called Golden Rule by asking the jury to imagine his victims suffering. Granville Ritchie, right, sits with defense attorneys during his trial Monday at the Hillsborough County Courthouse. My heart breaks for you. The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the conviction and death sentence of a Hillsborough County man convicted of sexually assaulting and murdering a 9-year-old girl and dumping her body in water off the Courtney Campbell Causeway. Granville Ritchie would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death. Investigators said, back in 2014, Ritchie assaulted and strangled young Felecia Williams before stuffing her body in a suitcase and dumping her into the water near the Courtney Campbell Causeway. Rick Buckwalter, the Florida appeals attorney, admitted it was a close call, but argued that Harmon did not cross the line. LIVE: Granville Ritchie, the Tampa man convicted in the 2014 murder of 9-year-old Felecia Williams, is expected to be formally sentenced this morning. Each parent has that sick feeling of dread that something happened to their child. In October 2020, she pleaded guilty to lying to the police and was later sentenced to 75 days in jail and five years of probation. A key part of the Supreme Court opinion involved whether Ritchie should receive a new sentencing hearing because of improper comments made by a prosecutor during the case. Instead, it becomes a first step of a neverending nightmare you never wake from. Wiley and Ritchie picked her up on May 16, 2014. And the fact that you were able to sit through this trial with the horrific facts. On the night of her murder, Felecia, who was known to her family as Sugar Plum, was left alone with Ritchie at his Temple Terrace apartment by a woman who was supposed to be watching her. Ritchies conviction comes five years after he raped and killed Felecia before stuffing her body in a suitcase and dropping it off of the Courtney Campbell Causeway bridge, according to the Tampa Bay Times, WTSP and Fox13. The penalty phase of the trial started Thursday. Ritchie may have suffered brain damage, Eisenstein said. Ritchie faces the death penalty. For him to feel what she felt. Young Nev. Man Found Guilty of Raping, Murdering Teen Family Friend: 'She Called Him Her Big Brother', Jury Selection Begins at Sentencing Trial for Parkland Mass Shooter, Juror Who Helped Convict Scott Peterson Is Accused of Hiding Bias Against Him, Paving Killer's Path to Retrial, Fla. 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TAMPA, Fla. A jury found Granville Ritchie guilty of murder and rape Wednesday afternoon in the 2014 killing of 9-year . "Important to be was the fact that there was a pattern, where it wasn't a typical neck strangulation, where you got a lot of injury to all of the muscles up here in the neck," explained Dr. William Anderson, a pathologist. During his sentencing hearing last year, Felecia's father stunned the courtroom by telling his daughter's killer that he forgave him. After hearing a number of witness impact statements, Judge Michelle Sisco sentenced Granville Ritchie to death for killing Felecia Williams in 2014. For most parents, that moment passes but for a few unfortunate ones, it doesnt. Later that night, a 911 call was made on Ritchies phone that only lasted a few seconds. Ritchie and Felecia did not know each other before they met on May 16, 2014, but they were both close with Eboni Wiley, who was the man's then-girlfriend and the girl's neighbor and family friend. Each parent has that sick feeling of dread that something happened to their child. Authorities say the victim was in the care ofEboni Wiley, a family friend. I wish you all of the best.. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Wiley initially told investigators that Felecia had run away while she and Ritchie had s*x in a bedroom, but later admitted that she lied. Have a tip we should know? The only thing I regret today is I cannot ask for his fatethat would be for him to be hung. [. Open in Our App document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Copyright 2023 My Crime Library | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme. The jury voted unanimously to recommend a death sentence for the murder, and the trial court sentenced Ritchie to death. Granville Ritchie, 35, of this suburb northeast of Tampa also was charged with capital sexual battery and aggravated child abuse in the death of Felecia Williams, police Chief Kenneth Albano. I just cant believe he did that to her, Felecias cousin, Rashida Johnson, told WTSP shortly after her death. After she completed her testimony, Judge Sisco said she had struggled with how to convey her thoughts toward Demerson, but told her the following: Ive thought long and hard about what I was going to say to you. Im trying to figure out how thats not a violation of the Golden Rule, she said Grosshans, referring to the prosecutors speech. Later that night, Ritchie drove to the Courtney Campbell Causeway where he dumped Felecia's body into the bay. Trial Monday at the Hillsborough County Courthouse was accused of lying during the missing person investigation x27.... `` bravery and your tireless advocacy for your daughter 911 call was on!, but argued that Harmon did not reach a decision in Ritchie case... Williams, during the investigation into Williams disappearance Jamaican today, '' she said Grosshans, to... 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