She quoted a Bible verse, Matthew 18:6. Later that night, Ritchie drove to the Courtney Campbell Causeway where he dumped Felecia's body into the bay. 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. 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. My heart breaks for you.". He then is believed to have hid her body in a suitcase, which he dumped into Tampa Bay. I feel like death is appropriate. Your email address will not be published. I wish you all of the best.". "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. Harmon is a veteran prosecutor who has been prosecuting homicides for 20 years,' she told the court. He told me he needed to do something. The woman, Eboni Wiley, testified even though she had only know Ritchie for a couple of days, she left Felecia with him to go buy some marijuana. Granville Ritchie, right, sits with defense attorneys during his trial Monday at the Hillsborough County Courthouse. Granville Ritchie was found guilty of killing Williams in Sept. 2019. . 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. Eboni Wiley says she had just started dating Ritchie in 2014 when the two went to pick up her. All I know is he needs to be like her. Each parent has that sick feeling of dread that something happened to their child. 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. Granville Ritchie was sentenced to. TAMPA, Fla. A jury found Granville Ritchie guilty of murder and rape Wednesday afternoon in the 2014 killing of 9-year . In arguing for the death penalty, Tampa prosecutor Scott Harmon said to the jury, in part: 'Can you imagine the dread of knowing that your life is ending and you are feeling pain all over your body? Each parent has that sick feeling of dread that something happened to their child. I know youre a woman of deep faith. A unanimous 12-0 decision is required. I do still see the humanity in you,Judge Sisco said after delivering the death sentence. When the rest of the jurors were brought in, Sisco told them that, as human beings, it is normal to feel emotional in cases of such magnitude. The same jury will decide whether Ritchie will receive the death penalty as part of his sentencing. Historique L'entreprise. I feel like death is appropriate. Some days, I dont know whether Im coming or going, she said. 'Im trying to figure out how that is not a Golden Rule violation,' Grosshans said, referring to the prosecutor's speech. Two other jurors turned to console her. According to the Tamp Bay Times, prosecutors said Ritchie raped and strangled the young woman before putting her body in a suitcase. No one spoke on behalf of Ritchie during Fridays testimony. This was deliberate. More than six years after the child's death, Ritchie was sentenced with the death penalty on Friday, the Tampa Bay Times reported. By Wiley initially told investigators that Felecia had run away while she and Ritchie had sex in a bedroom, but she later admitted she lied. Please contact the developer of this form processor to improve this message. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. A Florida man is on trial in the alleged murder of 9-year-old Felecia Nicole Williams . 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. For most parents, that moment passes but for a few unfortunate ones, it doesn't. They spent the past two days in the penalty phase of the trial listening to witnesses and hearing arguments from the Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. A unanimous 12-0 decision is required to impose the death penalty. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Granville Ritchie, the man who raped and murdered 9-year-old Felecia Williams in 2014, was sentenced to death Friday. If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. Initially, Wiley told police that Felecia ran away, the Associated Press reported. 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. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Copyright 2023 My Crime Library | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme. "For most parents, that moment passes but for a few unfortunate ones, it doesn't. Closing arguments wrapped up Wednesday and the jury began deliberating. Ritchie faces the death penalty. Ritchie did poorly in school, repeating 9th grade before dropping out in 10th, jurors were told. During his sentencing hearing last year, Felecia's father stunned the courtroom by telling his daughter's killer that he forgave him. The duo were watching the girl one day, and Ritchie took Felecia to his mother's apartment, the Associated Press reported. Have a tip or story idea? But the courts majority, while acknowledging improper comments, said Ritchie should not receive a new hearing. Wiley and Ritchie picked her up on May 16, 2014. 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. 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. 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. I do still see the humanity in you,"Judge Sisco said after delivering the death sentence. Jurors in Tampa murder trial confront ultimate question: Could they impose the death penalty? Roebuck, the appellants attorney, insisted that there was nothing spontaneous in Harmons argument. He wrote this argument, gave it to his colleagues, I guarantee it, and tested it. Convicted child killer, rapist wants off death row. TAMPA, Fla. -- A key witness testified Monday in the Granville Ritchie murder trial. "I am here to bury this Jamaican today," she said during the hearing. Who is Granville Ritchie? During Ritchies trial, the court heard from Felecias mother. Ritchie was convicted in 2019 of first degree murder, s*xual assault and aggravated child abuse in connection with Felecias death. Jurors saw photos of the 9-year-old girl, all with a wide smile one of her donning a blue dress at a wedding where she served as a flower girl, another of her sitting on a couch beside her mother, and a third of her mugging for a selfie as she lies on a mattress. 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. No one spoke on behalf of Ritchie during Friday's testimony. Public housing tenants ask if old maps are accurate. I have no ill will against you, Jerome Williams said, reports WREG. 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. . Sisco addressed the grieving mother, telling her, "I've thought long and hard about what I was going to say to you. TAMPA Jurors considering whether to sentence Granville Ritchie to death for the murder of 9-year-old Felecia Williams stopped their work Thursday morning when one of them began sobbing at testimony from the little girls mother. Ritchie has difficulty completing complicated tasks, the result of head trauma he suffered during incidents including car accidents, Eisenstein said. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? pic.twitter.com/ICiF7E3rSA. This is his direct appeal. Before court resumed Wednesday, she was brought in alone and questioned. pic.twitter.com/K1mmbzLM7b, Law & Crime Network (@LawCrimeNetwork) September 25, 2019. Copyright 2022The Free Press, LLC,tampafp.com. At the time, they said she was left alone with Ritchie after the woman who was babysitting her left to purchase drugs. 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 On Tuesday, a Hillsborough County jury found Granville Ritchie guilty of killing 9-year-old Felecia Williams on May 16, 2014. Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. I think most parents have a moment when a child runs away from them, they cant find a child, a call or text message goes unanswered for a period of time. Court stopped briefly after a juror in Granville Ritchies trial began sobbing during the testimony of the 9-year-old victims mother. Harmon is a veteran prosecutor who has been prosecuting homicides for 20 years, he told the court. When her mother had foot surgery in 2013, the girl spent the summer cooking for her and nursing her back to health, Demerson said. 'May God have mercy on your soul.'. Buckwalter claimed that the prosecutor was simply describing Ritchies actions to jurors and made a brusque comment. Ritchie was accused of raping and killing 9-year-old Felecia Williams in 2014, then shoving her body in a suitcase, and dropping it off the Courtney Campbell Causeway bridge. On Wednesday, the 12-member jury found the 40-year-old Ritchie guilty in the girl's 2014 rape and murder. 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. Closing arguments wrapped up Wednesday and the jury began deliberating. Bailiffs led the jury out of the courtroom. According to court documents Granville Ritchie would abduct, sexually assault and murder Felecia Williams. It is in light of this horrific crime, though, that the prosecutor was duty-bound to take great care to ensure that the jurys recommendation of life or death was based on the facts and not on inflammatory and improper arguments.. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. Wiley was witness in Ritchie's trial, and was charged with lying during a missing person investigation. Later that night, a 911 call was made on Ritchies phone that only lasted a few seconds. 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. I think there is a good chance there was somebody pressing the arm down or kneeling on the patient for a period of time. The only thing I regret today is I cannot ask for his fate and that would be for him to be hung," Demerson said. Nearly a year aftera jury recommended Granville Ritchie be put to death for the rape and murder of a 9-year-old girl, an emotional judge agreed, and sentenced him to death on Friday morning. Ritchies attorney could not be reached for comment. Later that night, Ritchie drove to the Courtney Campbell Causeway, where he dumped Felecias body into the bay. The child's mother and a judge had some parting words. 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. 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. 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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