Wiley and Ritchie picked her up on May 16, 2014. Police search allotment sheds for Constance Marten's missing baby. The seven justices of the state Supreme Court did not reach a decision in Ritchies case this week. 'May God have mercy on your soul.'. That pain wouldve been greater for a little girl.'. Wiley was witness in Ritchie's trial, and was charged with lying during a missing person investigation. Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. On Wednesday, the 12-member jury found the 40-year-old Ritchie guilty in the girls 2014 rape and murder. The Golden Rule argument refers to an argument put forth by the prosecution in a jury trial, where jurors are persuaded to consider themselves in the place of the victim in reaching a verdict that they would prefer the defendant to get. Testimony is expected to continue Friday. . I said do what, you dont even know anybody around here, Kellisa Kelley said, according to BayNews9. 'Im trying to figure out how that is not a Golden Rule violation,' Grosshans said, referring to the prosecutor's speech. 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. 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Closing arguments wrapped up Wednesday and the jury began deliberating. She was allowed to remain on the panel. L'anne suivante, soutenant financirement le couturier depuis ses dbuts, Marcel Boussac [n 1] fonde la Socit Christian Dior parfums, SARL nomme alors plus communment Dior Parfums [n 2].Serge Heftler-Louiche, ami du couturier et natif . Prosecutor Scott Harmonsaid in closing arguments on Wednesday that Ritchie was a master manipulator, who lied and used Wiley and his mother to cover up what really happened. That is true. Wiley went to buy marijuana and Ritchie then strangled and assaulted the nine-year-old, prosecutors claimed. Roebuck, the appellant's attorney, insisted that there was nothing spontaneous about Harmon's argument. TAMPA, Fla. Granville Ritchie was found guilty of sexually battering and murdering 9-year-old Felicia Williams in May of 2014. "The child victim suffered a horrendous, physically painful, psychologically torturous death,"Hillsborough Circuit Judge Michelle Sisco said, as reported by WTVT. Defense attorney Daniel Hernandez asked Hillsborough Circuit Judge Michelle Sisco to either bar the entire panel from hearing the rest of the case or to excuse the juror who wept. Prosecutors said Ritchie had been dating Felecia's neighbor, Eboni Wiley, in May 2014. Ritchie did poorly in school, repeating 9th grade before dropping out in 10th, jurors were told. Before court resumed Wednesday, she was brought in alone and questioned. Mister. At the time, they said she was left alone with Ritchie after the woman who was babysitting her left to purchase drugs. The server responded with {{status_text}} (code {{status_code}}). , updated . They traveled to a home, where the defendant was alone with the victim starting at about 4:50 p.m. Investigators claim he committed the crime, stuffed the body in a suitcase, and dumped it by the Courtney Campbell Causeway. This was deliberate. Eboni Wiley says she had just started dating Ritchie in 2014 when the two went to pick up her. She didnt deserve thatits hard for all of us to deal with it, you know, but we have to take it one day at a time.. 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. Ritchie's lawyer had argued against a death penalty, claiming factors like an abusive childhood in Kingston, Jamaica, the Tampa Bay Times reported. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Youre a better stronger woman than I am. After four hours of deliberation, the jury found Ritchie guilty of first-degree murder, sexual battery and aggravated child abuse. Ritchies attorney could not be reached for comment. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Ritchie and Felecia did not know each other before meeting on May 16, 2014, but they were both close to Eboni Wiley, who was the mans girlfriend and the girls neighbor and family friend. During Friday's hearing, Felecia's mother addressed the court, calling for Ritchie's death. Assistant State Attorney Scott Harmon responded that from what he saw, the juror handled the situation responsibly, turning her head away until she could get out. The seven justices of the state Supreme Court did not reach a decision in Ritchie's case this week. Later that night, a 911 call was made on Ritchies phone that only lasted a few seconds. Each parent has that sick feeling of dread that something happened to their child. The jury voted unanimously to recommend a death sentence for the murder, and the trial court sentenced Ritchie to death. On Tuesday, a Hillsborough County jury found. After hearing a number of witness impact statements, Judge Michelle Sisco sentenced Granville Ritchie to death for killing Felecia Williams in 2014. But the judge told them to speak up if what they hear becomes overwhelming. A unanimous 12-0 decision is required. Wiley is charged in an ongoing case with allegedly providing false information to law enforcement. You're a better stronger woman than I am. A doctor who took the stand Tuesday disagreed with the medical examiner's findings on the cause of death. The child's mother and a judge had some parting words. 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. Closing arguments wrapped up Wednesday and the jury began deliberating. During his sentencing hearing last year, Felecia's father stunned the courtroom by telling his daughter's killer that he forgave him. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Defense casts doubt as Granville Ritchie trial winds down, Jury in Granville Ritchies murder trial hears his account of girls disappearance, He sold me a dream. Ex-girlfriend links Granville Ritchie to 9-year-old murder victim, She was looking into the face of her killer: Trial opens in slaying of girl, 9, Jury seated in trial of Granville Ritchie, accused of strangling young girl. "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. The duo were watching the girl one day, and Ritchie took Felecia to his mother's apartment, the Associated Press reported. STATE OF FLORIDA V. GRANVILLE RITCHIE WWW.CQINVESTIGATIONS.COM The body of Felecia Williams was found off the Courtney Campbell Causeway five . By 4:30 p.m., they returned the guilty verdict. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Convicted child killer, rapist wants off death row. Copyright 2022The Free Press, LLC,tampafp.com. The girl's body was found washed up on a shoreline a day after she had been left alone with Ritchie. Wiley was a witness at Ritchies trial and was accused of lying during the missing person investigation. Granville Ritchie (pictured in mugshot) killed Felecia Williams on May 16, 2014 Wiley was a neighbor and friend to Felecia's family. She left 9-yr-old Sugarplum with Ritchie. Youll get a remembrance of Tampa Bay residents weve lost, including heartwarming and amusing details about their lives, every Tuesday. 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. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Ritchie may have suffered brain damage, Eisenstein said. Im on seven different types of medication trying to cope with this new normal called life. By
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, 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. 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. Friday's sentencingincluded testimony from Felecia Demerson, the 9-year-old's mother. Open in Our App "For him to feel what my daughter felt over and over again. 10:20 EST 05 Nov 2021 Instead, it becomes a first step of a neverending nightmare you never wake from. 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. Granville Ritchie, 41, was sentenced to death in September 2020 for the 2014 murder of nine-year-old Felecia Williams, who was raped, strangled, stuffed into a suitcase and thrown over an overpass. Learn More{{/message}}. I ain't got no ill will against you,' said Jerome Williams, WREG reports. 'Mr. Harmon is a veteran prosecutor who has been prosecuting homicides for 20 years, he told the court. Wiley has been charged with lying during a missing person investigation. You're a better, stronger woman than I am. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Copyright 2023 My Crime Library | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme. "The child victim suffered a horrendous, physically painful, psychologically torturous death," Sisco said in court on Friday. Last y. I do still see the humanity in you,Judge Sisco said after delivering the death sentence. By
In September 2019, all 12 jurors agreed Ritchie, who grew up in Jamaica,should face the death penalty. That argument is considered legally improper because jurors are expected to weigh a verdict objectively based on evidence alone, instead of their personal feelings.
Granville Ritchie was sentenced to death by the State of Florida for the sexual assault and murder of a nine year old girl. Texas Special Education Teacher Admits Sexually Assaulting Student in Classroom Closet, West Virginia Teenager Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of 4 Family Members, Man Who Murdered Girlfriend, Her 2 Children Captured on Video Casually Saying, 'I Murdered 4 People', Md. Demersons testimony brought back feelings of grief, she said. A PEDO was given the death penalty for raping and strangling a nine-year-old girl and hiding her body in suitcase. Florida man Granville Ritchie, 40, was found guilty of raping and murdering 9-year-old Felecia Williams. My heart breaks for you. 'He wrote out this argument, he gave it to colleagues, I guarantee you, and tested it. The child's mother and a judge had some parting words. In sum, we cannot say that the improper arguments precluded Ritchies jury from making a reasoned assessment based on the evidence so as to amount to a denial of due process, said the opinion shared by Chief Justice Charles Canady and Justices Alan Lawson, Carlos Muniz, John Couriel and Jamie Grosshans. The girls body was found washed up on a shoreline a day after she had been left alone with Ritchie. TAMPA, Fla. -- A key witness testified Monday in the Granville Ritchie murder trial. RELATED STORY: You cant get over it. Mother works to preserve memory of daughter who was slain at age 9, Subscribe to our free HowTheyLived newsletter. He grew up in a poverty-stricken neighborhood, plagued with crime and violence, and endured beatings from a father who had 18 children by several different mothers. Fridays sentencingincluded testimony from Felecia Demerson, the 9-year-olds mother. Im trying to figure out how thats not a violation of the Golden Rule, she said Grosshans, referring to the prosecutors speech. 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. How far did Zion Cemetery stretch? All I know is he needs to be like her.. In September 2019, all 12 jurors agreed Ritchie, who grew up in Jamaica,should face the death penalty. Ritchie was convicted of the first-degree murder of nine-year-old F.W., who was strangled to death in 2014. The sentencing hearing began Thursday and continued Friday. 11/4/21 Florida Supreme Court Oral Arguments: Granville Ritchie v. State of Florida SC20-1422. That pain would have been greater for a girl. Instead, it becomes a first step of a never-ending nightmare you never wake from. In September 2019, Ritchie was found guilty of first-degree murder, sexual battery and aggravated child abuse. "That would indicate to me that a force was applied across the upper chest. For most parents, that moment passes but for a few unfortunate ones, it doesn't. TAMPA, Fla. A year after his trial, Granville Ritchie has been sentenced to death for the 2014 murder of 9-year-old Felecia Williams. During Ritchies trial, the court heard from Felecias mother. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 3 Granville Ritchie, 41, was sentenced to death on Friday for killing and raping a nine-year-old girl Credit: Hillsborough County Jai 3 Nine-year-old Felecia Williams was killed in May 2014 Credit: Facebook During jury selection two weeks ago, the woman who wept told the court she works as a kindergarten teachers aid. ", Seven passengers rushed to hospital after 'severe turbulence' on flight, Gabby Petito's family claim cop knew Laundrie was threat in lawsuit update, Jury inspect eerie Murdaugh murder scene where mom & son were executed, US Navy faces being totally outgunned by China in just seven years, says expert, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Granville Ritchie, 41, was sentenced to death on Friday for killing and raping a nine-year-old girl, Nine-year-old Felecia Williams was killed in May 2014, Six years later, Ritchie was sentenced to death on Friday. TAMPA, Fla. (FOX 13) - A jury of his peers has found Granville Ritchie guilty of murder in the 2014 killing of 9-year-old Felecia Williams. Eboni Wiley, in May 2014, prosecutors said. Granville Ritchie, 40, is charged with first-degree murder, rape and sexual battery, and aggravated child abuse. Prosecutors challenged that, stilling claiming Williams was strangled. Ritchie was convicted in 2019 of first degree murder, s*xual assault and aggravated child abuse in connection with Felecias death. That argument is considered legally incorrect because jurors are expected to consider a verdict objectively based on evidence alone, rather than their personal feelings. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Follow Us OnFacebook HereOrTwitter Here. On Tuesday, a Hillsborough County jury found Granville Ritchie guilty of killing 9-year-old Felecia Williams on May 16, 2014. [. Ritchie.". ''I'm not like everybody else, bro. The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the convictions and death sentence for a man who sexually battered and killed 9-year-old Felecia Williams. {{#message}}{{{message}}}{{/message}}{{^message}}Your submission failed. Prosecutors cited three aggravating factors to support their argument for a death sentence: The victim was younger than 12; her murder occurred during a sexual battery; and the killing was especially heinous, atrocious and cruel. 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