WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (Court TV) — A homeless man convicted of killing a 14-year-old boy in Florida had several outbursts at his sentencing hearing on Wednesday, even screaming as he was led out of the courtroom.
Semmie Williams holds up a handmade sign during his sentencing. (WPEC)
Semmie Williams, 43, was convicted of second-degree murder with a weapon in the death of 14-year-old Ryan Rogers. The teen, who had gone out for a bike ride on Nov. 15, 2021, was reported missing when he didn’t return home. His body was found the next morning in a wooded area along an I-95 overpass.
Prior to arriving in Florida, Williams served five years in prison in Georgia, where he was convicted of battery on a person 65 or older following a 2014 incident. The victim in that incident joined Williams’ sentencing virtually and told the judge that on the day he had been attacked, he had been walking down the street toward a rental property he owns.
“The next thing I know is I turn my head a little, and I see this man jump me with his hand, he hit me as hard as he could, and almost knocked me unconscious,” Dennis Brincks testified. The attack caused Brincks to fall down a ravine, where the attack continued. “I tried to fight him with my left arm. He twisted me, and then he proceeded to put his left arm around my neck and put his knee in my back, pulled me back, straddling me, and I said, ‘What do you want? Money?’ and he said, ‘I know your kind. I’m going to finish you.'”
While Rogers’ parents declined to speak at the hearing, his friend Sienna Weiss shared memories of the teen. “I would give anything to laugh with him one more time,” she said as she recalled a boy who loved soccer and having fun.
“We’ll never know who Ryan would have been or what he could have accomplished, because the defendant stole his life,” Prosecutor Jo Wilensky said. “For that, and that alone, he should spend the rest of his life in prison.”
In a rambling 11-minute address to the Court, Williams offered no apologies. “First thing I want to say is that about two months ago my lawyer said she was filing an appeal, but she has a history of not telling me the truth,” he began. “What I wanted to say, is that, well, I didn’t kill Ryan, I was set up,” he continued. “Everybody knows that I was poor and I was homeless, so that’s how I became a victim of gang stalking.”
At that point, Williams began making pleas for “anybody” to send him money so that he can make phone calls and hire an attorney. “Can you please send me that money right now? A dollar? Whatever you have,” he said, holding up a handwritten sign. At that point, Rowe cut him off.
As the attorneys continued to make their arguments, Williams continued to interrupt. “It’s an emergency!” Williams yelled at one point. “I need to be moved to [general population]!” Despite being asked to be quiet, Williams continued to shout, claiming that he needs to be moved to be “around more people” because he’s “being raped in jail.”
Rowe ultimately handed down a 35-year sentence for Williams. “The appropriate sentence must balance accountability and a recognition of the defendant’s circumstances,” Rowe said.
