GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Court TV) — The murder trial of a Florida teenager was canceled on Monday when she pleaded guilty as jury selection was beginning.
Ke’Mani Narda Lee Hill faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder. (Alachua County Jail)
Ke’Mani Narda Lee Hill, now 15, faced a slew of charges, including first-degree murder and robbery with a firearm, in the death of Wilber Alberto Perez, 24, who was killed on April 19, 2024, at the Tiger Bay apartment complex. At the time of Perez’s killing, Hill was 13 years old.
On Monday, Hill pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter, as well as conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery. She was immediately sentenced to 20 years on each of those charges. She also pleaded guilty firing a weapon into a building and was sentenced to 15 years. All sentences will be served concurrently, and upon her release, she will be subject to 10 years of probation.
In filings reviewed by Court TV, investigators said that Hill was with co-defendant Zion James — who was 14 at the time — when the two made arrangements to meet with Perez to purchase marijuana. James pretended to pay, then grabbed the drugs and took off running. Prosecutors say that’s when Hill pulled out a gun and killed the victim.
James previously pleaded no contest to several charges, including robbery with a firearm, tampering with physical evidence and delivery of cannabis, in 2025. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by two years of community control and eight years of probation. James was expected to testify against Hill.
Evidence against Hill included messages she allegedly sent to a witness in the minutes after Perez’s death, asking them to “unlock the door” and “just take the gun,” the Alachua Chronicle reported. Hill has previous convictions dating back to 2023 and 2024.
