Godmother Willingly Gives Daughter to P3do For Him To Murder

Godmother Willingly Gives Daughter to P3do For Him To Murder

Felicia Nicole Williams was born on December 9th, 2004 at University Community Hospital in Tampa, Florida. At the time of her birth, she weighed 8 lb and 1 o. She was born to mother Felicia Nicole Demerson and father Jerome Williams. Felicia was the second youngest of six girls. Her aunt called Felicia Sugar Plum because she had a little brown round face when she arrived home from the hospital.

 The name stuck and that’s what those closest to her called her. Felicia’s sister Shaqula Given said, “You guys know her as Felicia. We knew her as Sugar Plum. She was amazing.” Felicia was a vibrant, loving, and spirited young girl who brought joy to everyone around her. Her sister described her as caring, funny, and full of life.

 Felicia loved riding her bike and often spent peaceful moments feeding ducks at a nearby pond. On some days, she would visit a local hair salon, sweeping floors and taking out the trash to earn a little pocket money. Felicia lived with her family in East Tampa. She was a third grader at Edison Elementary School. Her family were active members of the Zion Temple Holiness Church, where Felicia sang in the youth choir and was said to brighten services with her enthusiasm.

 Her exuberance and energy were further expressed as a member of the Jackson Heights Viking Cheer Squad. friends recalled how much Felicia enjoyed games like hideand-seek and tag and how she always had a knockk knockock joke ready to make others laugh. Felicia’s kind personality shown through not only in her daily activities but also in the way she cared for her family and shared her joy with others.

 In 2013, Felicia’s mother had foot surgery and Felicia spent the summer cooking for her and nursing her back to health. One Christmas, she received three bikes, two from charity bids and one from her father. Generous by nature, she gave one of the bikes to her best friend. She was described as having a zest for life and a heart full of kindness.

 Felicia loved the outdoors, good food, and anything Hello Kitty. She was an energetic and helpful child whose warm spirit touched everyone she met. Felicia was considered responsible for her age and always asked her mom for permission if she wanted to go somewhere. On Friday, May 16th, 2014, she called her mother to ask if she could spend some time with a family friend named Ebony Alicia Wy.

 Ebony, then 23 years old, lived in the same apartment complex and had gotten to know the family well. She and Felicia had a special bond. They rode bicycles together, went to the park, and attended church together. Ebony even called herself Felicia’s godmother. Felicia’s mother said, “My daughter really adored, cherished, worshiped the ground Ebony walked on.

” Ebony was trusted and Felicia was allowed to go with her. But it was late in the day before Ebony told the family an alarming story. Felicia was missing. Ebony became a key figure in the investigation, and she provided the police with an account of the events leading up to Felicia’s disappearance. According to Ebony, she and a friend named Viven picked Felicia up at 400 p.m.

 They stopped for food at Checkers, after which Viven dropped them off at an apartment. Ebony claimed she took a shower, and then by the time she got out between 5:30 and 6:00 p.m., Felicia was gone. Ebony borrowed Viven’s car and drove around searching for Felicia for 3 hours until Viven asked for her car back.

 It was then that Ebony informed Felicia’s older sister that she was missing. But after further questioning, Ebony started changing her story. Viven now became a man named Trevor. Ebony and Trevor picked up Felicia at 400 p.m. according to her. Ebony said Trevor was wearing a white polo shirt with a floral pattern on the breast pocket.

 The group stopped for food at checkers before heading to Trevor’s apartment. Trevor then asked Ebony to purchase weed. Ebony claimed she left for about 35 minutes, but when she returned, she couldn’t get into the apartment complex. She didn’t have the gate code and Trevor wasn’t answering his phone. When she finally reached him, he was in a panic.

 He claimed he had sent Felicia to the local CVS to buy some candy and hadn’t returned. He asked Ebony to meet him at the CVS so they could keep looking for her. However, when Ebony arrived at the CVS, Trevor wasn’t there. She called him. He said he was already back at the apartment. When Ebony met him at the apartment, Trevor was in a strange state. His white polo shirt was gone.

 He was shirtless and sweating. They sat on the couch, drank Hennessy, and presumably talked about what to do next. Ebony claimed she went into a closet to pray for about 10 minutes before she and Trevor slept together. Afterwards, Trevor put his shirt back on and drove Ebony home. Ebony also added that Trevor and his mother, Gloria Gibson, participated in a three-way call to construct the story about Felicia going missing while Ebony was in the shower.

Now, regardless of which version of Ebony’s story was reality, this much was true. Ebony didn’t contact Felicia’s family about her disappearance until approximately 9:30 p.m. She spoke with one of Felicia’s sisters who then called their mother. It was Felicia’s family, not Ebony, who contacted 911 to report her missing.

 Tragically, Ebony’s misinformation prevented an Amber Alert from being issued as her case hadn’t met the required criteria. The next day, May 17th, voters in Clearwater near Tampa noticed something unusual in the water. Upon closer inspection, they saw that it was the body of a young girl naked and floating near rocks and mangroves north of the Courtney Campbell Causeway.

 They swiftly contacted the police. That same day, Ebony was arrested for providing false statements to the police. She was able to get released on $2,000 bail later that day. On May 18th, two days after Felicia’s disappearance, police identified the man known as Trevor as Granville Ashante Richie. Naturally, they sought to speak with him to hear his version of the events.

 Now, Granville, who is a native of Jamaica, explained that Trevor was his nickname and that Granville Richie was his government name, as he put it. He had lived in Jamaica until the age of 18. 2006, he married Toadra Richie, with whom he had a daughter. However, he admitted that his marriage was strained. Complicating matters further, he had a girlfriend at the time named Kalissa Kelly.

 By 2014, Granville had been living in the United States for 8 years and claimed to work on cell phone towers. Granville was known to police. He had an arrest record going back to 2007 and was charged with SA, aggravated assault, and domestic battery in 2013. That same year, his wife Todra filed an injunction for protection against him.

February of 2014, he was arrested again for possession of ecstasy. But right now, police were just interested in what happened to Felicia Williams. According to Granville, he and Ebony picked Felicia up at 4 p.m. Upon returning to his apartment, they put on a movie for Felicia while they went into the bedroom to hook up.

 Approximately 45 minutes later, they returned to the living room and found that Felicia was gone. Granville noted that the front door was unlocked. claimed that Ebony borrowed his car to search for Felicia, but that she was unsuccessful in finding her. Afterwards, Granville drove Ebony home, at which point she informed Felicia’s family that the young girl was missing.

Granville further stated that he drove to visit a friend. However, when the friend wasn’t home, he claimed to have left. Later, Ebony reportedly returned to Granville’s apartment with her brother to find out his apartment number so that she could provide it to the police. Around midnight, Granville claimed he drove to St.

 Petersburg to visit his girlfriend, Kalissa Kelly. He also mentioned that he spent part of the night driving around, sometimes alone and sometimes he wasn’t alone, though he didn’t say who was with him. The following morning, he and Kalissa left her home together. Now, having gotten Granville’s story, police went about learning what more that they could.

 On May 19th, Crimestoppers offered a reward of $3,000 for information about Felicia. But sadly later that day, police identified the body found in Tampa Bay as that of Felicia Sugar Plum Williams. Felicia’s sister, Shaqula, described the moment her family found out about her sister’s death.

 She said, “We was all at my mom’s house, the chief of police and also a few detectives and police officers. They all started walking up the sidewalk really fast. And once he walked in the house, he spoke to my mom. He said, “I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure we find whoever did this.” and my mom just broke and fell.

 From there, that’s when we knew something bad happened. At this point, police were aware of multiple versions of what happened, which one was true, and what really happened to Felicia. To learn more, officers interviewed residents of Granville’s apartment complex. One person they talked to was a 17-year-old girl. She told the police that she and Granville had had four intimate encounters just this prior month.

 Based on that information, on May 21st, Granville was arrested and placed in custody on charges of having sex with the minor in addition to two drug charges. The next day, police announced that he was a suspect in Felicia’s death. One week after Felicia’s death, police obtained a search warrant for Granville’s girlfriend, Kisa Kelly’s town home in St. Petersburg.

 They were specifically looking for the white polo shirt Granville was wearing the day Felicia went missing, but they didn’t find it. By June 15th, there was a combined reward of $13,000 through Crimestoppers, but no one had yet been charged with Felicia’s murder. On July 10th, 2014, a hearing was held to determine how much longer Granville would need to remain behind bars.

 His attorney argued that he should be granted a fair and reasonable bail because he had never been convicted of a crime and fully cooperated with police. Now, you may be wondering, well, what about those charges that he was charged with earlier? Well, since that time, those charges were all dropped. Unfortunately, however, police presented evidence that Granville had been involved with the 17-year-old they talked with earlier.

 As the girl was underage, this was against the law. Granville was denied bail and remained in custody. Police worked diligently on Felicia’s case, but it was some time before the case advanced further. But finally on August 15th, 2014, Granville Trevor Richie was charged with a first-degree murder of Felicia Williams. It was also charged with capital sexual battery and aggravated CA.

 Police alleged that Granville stuffed Felicia’s body into a suitcase before he dumped her into Tampa Bay. In 2015, prosecutors announced their intent to seek the death penalty against Granville. However, this decision delayed the trial due to a ruling by the Florida Supreme Court. In 2016, the court declared Florida’s death penalty law unconstitutional because it did not require juries to unanimously recommend the death penalty.

 As a result, all death penalty cases in Florida, including Granville’s, were put on hold for several years. Finally, Florida changed their legal procedures to require a unanimous recommendation in death penalty cases. So, fast forward years later in June 19th, 2019, the trial was again delayed. Both the prosecution and defense argued that they wouldn’t be ready for trial.

 The judge reluctantly agreed to postpone. Finally, Granville’s case began in September of 2019. He had been held in the Hillsboro County Jail for the entire 5 years. The jury was seated on September 12th, 2009, and consisted of seven women, five men, and three alternates. Ebony was a witness for the prosecution.

 As the trial unfolded, the true events were finally revealed. Before picking up Felicia on the day in question, Ebony had complained to Granville about her. Ebony, who worked as a housekeeper at Whispering Oaks nursing home, mentioned that Felicia had shown up at her workplace and caused trouble for her. She also expressed concern that Felicia had been getting into trouble for stealing.

 In response, Granville suggested that they talk to Felicia and offer her some guidance. Though Granville and Ebony had met just 3 days before, Ebony was in love and thought that she was going to be with him forever. In fact, Ebony had him listed on her phone as my husband. It was about 400 p.m. Eastern time when they picked Felicia up.

 They bought Felicia some food at a local checker restaurant on the way back to Granville’s apartment. At the apartment, they lectured Felicia about the dangers of stealing. When they were done, they put on a DVD for her before heading into the bedroom. Granville also gave Ebony ecstasy. At about 4:50 p.m., Granville asked Ebony to go out and buy some weed.

 Ebony was going to take Felicia with her, but Granville convinced her to let Felicia stay back since Ebony would have drugs in the car and she didn’t have a valid driver’s license. Ebony, displaying a startling lack of good judgment, left Felicia alone with a man she barely knew. It took Ebony more than an hour to run her errands.

 When she returned, Felicia wasn’t there. Granville, who had been fully dressed and wearing a white polo when she left, answered the door shirtless and sweaty. He claimed he had given Felicia money to buy candy at a local CVS store, and she hadn’t returned. Surveillance cameras showed Ebony looking for Felicia at the CVS, but showed no evidence of Felicia ever being there.

 Back at the apartment, they drank alcohol, and the two hooked up on the living room floor. Ebony never looked for Felicia in the apartment. That evening, the two agreed to lie and pretend Felicia had run away. At 9:30 p.m., Ebony called Felicia’s house about her disappearance. It was revealed through GPS data that Granville traveled to the area where Felicia’s body was discovered and remained there for some time.

 In addition, a distinctive mangrove leaf was found lodged in the headlight of the silver Lexus he drove. The leaf matched the vegetation from the area where Felicia’s body was discovered. Additionally, sand collected from the passenger side floorboard in the lion of the car’s trunk was determined by an expert to be consistent with the sand in the location where Felicia was found.

 The autopsy determined that Felicia had suffered multiple blows to the head, was essayed, and ultimately strangled to death. While searching Granville’s apartment, police reported discovering a broken suitcase wheel on the rear patio, wheel marks on the carpet leading to the patio, and a broken zipper pull from the suitcase.

Although investigators did not locate the luggage they believe Felicia was placed in, they found a second suitcase of the same style in Granville’s car trunk. Additionally, witnesses informed police that Granville owned two similar suitcases in different sizes. They also noted that the apartment seemed to have been recently cleaned.

 Granville’s defense attorney suggested that Ebony could have been responsible for the murder. The attorney pointed out that Ebony had a history of mental health struggles, including a previous incident involving ecstasy and was under the influence of the drug on the day of Felicia’s death. Furthermore, no DNA evidence was found in Granville’s car, nor were there any signs of a struggle.

However, despite these arguments, the strength of the prosecution’s case made it a significant challenge for the defense to counter. During closing arguments, Hillsboro assistant state attorney Scott Harmon presented a brief but pivotal piece of evidence. At 5:06 p.m., someone made a short 911 call from Granville’s phone.

 The 911 operator tried calling the number back twice and each time it went to voicemail. Police officers were dispatched to the area, but they did not know who had placed the call, and they didn’t know the exact address and were not able to ascertain why the call had been placed. The state theorized that Felicia managed to grab Granville’s phone and make the call on that fateful day.

 As the operator listened, there was nothing but a faint noise before someone abruptly disconnected. Addressing the jury, attorney Harmon posed a powerful question. It’s only a couple seconds long, but could you hear it? Could you hear the fear? It’s the fear that comes from the heart and mind of a child.

 The call holds importance because it was made around the same time Ebony’s grandfather and a friend testified they were assisting her in purchasing weed. The state theorized that Felicia must have made the call during the period she was alone with Granville Richie. A police officer was dispatched to the vicinity of the Doral Oaks apartment complex to investigate, but lacked a specific address for the call.

 After finding no apparent signs of an emergency, the officer departed the area. Prosecutors asserted that it was during this time that Granville assaulted and killed Felicia. They further suggested that he hid Felicia’s body in a suitcase and later that night drove to the Courtney Campbell Causeway where he discarded her naked body in the bay.

 Attorney Harmon highlighted the testimony of a doctor who explained that it would have taken approximately 2 minutes of sustained pressure on Felicia’s neck to cause her death. He asked the jurors to reflect on just half that time. For 60 seconds, the courtroom remained silent. Some jurors closed their eyes, said, “Think about how deliberate that is.

 Every second of those minutes is a second that this defendant could have stopped. Second this defendant could have used mercy. The trial lasted one week. On Wednesday, September 25th, 2019, the jury convicted Granville Richie of the essay and murder of 9-year-old Felicia Williams. He was found guilty on all counts.

 The same jury would then decide if he would spend the rest of his life in prison or be sentenced to death. Granville’s attorney, Bjorn Brun, tried to save his client’s life. He argued that Granville had grown up in an abive and violent environment in his home country of Jamaica. Psychologists who examined Granville in jail estimated his IQ at 78, well below average.

 The defense also claimed that Granville had difficulty completing complex tasks due to possible brain damage suffered during car accidents. Granville also struggled academically, being the ninth grade before eventually dropping out in the 10th. He was raised in a poverty-stricken neighborhood marked by crime and violence, and he endured physical violence from his father, who had 18 children with multiple mothers.

Jury was left to wave the arguments for and against the death penalty. They deliberated for just 3 hours. In the end, they unanimously agreed at 12 to zero that Granville Richie should receive the death penalty. Friday, September 11th, 2020. Hillsboro Circuit Judge Michelle Cisco agreed. She said the child victim suffered a horrendous, physically painful, psychologically torturous death.

 And to Granville, she said, “There will be no corporal redemption for you. Your physical being, your person, you will remain incarcerated until the date of your death is scheduled to occur.” Judge Cisco concluded the sentencing with, “May God have mercy on your soul, Mr. Richie. Felicia’s mother reacted saying, “I’m feeling very relieved that this is over because this has been a long time, Tommy.

 It’s been a long 5 years and um this how long our family, the community, and everyone that my daughter touch has been waiting on this justice.” Her sister Shaqula added, “She was everything. For him to discard her like she was nothing, like no one would ever find her, it hurts. He discarded her like she was trash. He deserves it. He deserves everything that’s coming to him.

” Felicia’s father, Jerome Williams, told Granville he forgave him. He said, “I forgive you, bro. That’s how strong my God is. I come here and smile with no ill will. You are my brother. You made a mistake. You’ve got time to make right with God. Granville attempted to appeal the sentence. However, on Friday, June 10th, 2022, the Florida Supreme Court upheld his sentence.

 He’s currently being held at Union Correctional Institution in Rayford, Florida. Felicia’s death had a chilling effect on her neighborhood. Kiana Scott, resident of Felicia’s neighborhood of Dural Oaks, said that usually the area is full of kids playing, but in recent days, even in the summer, it’s been quiet outside. She said, “It’s sad that you can’t just let your kids go outside and play.

” Now, the resident, Christine Nataly, agreed. She was keeping her three children inside. She also said that she’s double locking the door. And what happened to Ebony Wy? On October 16th, 2020, Ebony plead guilty to lying to police during the investigation of Felicia’s disappearance. Ebony was not promised leniency in return for her testimony in Granville’s trial, but as part of her plea agreement, prosecutors committed to recommending a sentence of no more than 6 months in jail, followed by 5 years of probation. 2 months later, on Friday,

December 18th, 2020, Ebony was sentenced for a lying to police. She was given 75 days in jail plus 5 years of probation. When she was given time to speak, she spoke of being captivated by Granville’s Jamaican accent, his charming demeanor, and his visions of a wealthy future. She was convinced that she would marry him one day.

 She said, “I’m sorry I made a wrong decision, a notinking decision. I am so embarrassed and heartbroken.” She claimed she didn’t deserve jail time. Hillsboro Circuit Judge Samantha Ward asked why. Ebony said, “Because it wasn’t intentional.” Judge Ward asked, “It wasn’t intentional to tell a lie.” Ebony replied, “I didn’t do it on purpose.” But Judge Ward was not moved.

She said, “You did do it on purpose.” Ebony said, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I don’t deserve jail time. I’m sorry. I don’t deserve it.” Judge Ward replied, “That’s the wrong answer.” Ebony was then led away to begin her sentence. Felicia’s family was not happy with the length of Ebanese sentence, but they too understood the trade-offs law enforcement needed to make.

 Without Ebony’s cooperation in Granville’s trial, he might have gotten away with murder. Misha’s sister, Shaqula, said, “I feel like her sentence was a slap on the wrist. She was the main reason to why we’re here. It’s very unfair, but it’s understandable. It’s how the system works.

 It’s definitely an experience no one should have to go through. just makes you more aware of everyone’s intentions when they come around your children. Makes you more aware cuz you just never know. You never know. During Ebony’s hearing, Felicia’s grandmother, Brenda Johnson, asked, “You didn’t call 911. Why didn’t you call 911 when my baby was missing?” Felicia’s mother, Felicia Demerson, said, “Even though it has been six years, feels like six days.

Ebony has two children of her own, and we can only hope she exercises better judgment with them than she did with Felicia. Felicia’s loss left a profound impact on the community. The day after her body was identified, around 30 family members and friends gathered at the site where her remains were found, offering prayers before releasing balloons into the sky.

 A week later, the community came together once more to celebrate her life. Loved ones sang and prayed at her wake and her funeral was held on Saturday, May 24th at the Church of God by faith. Several hundred people attended to honor the little girl with a big heart. Her flowercovered casket engraved with the words sugar plum arrived at the church in a white carriage drawn by a single black horse, glistening under the sunlight as a final tribute to her memory.

 She was laid to rest at Rest Haven Memorial Park in her hometown of Tampa. At her memorial service, Felicia was remembered as a free spirit with a deep love for animals and someone who could light up any room with her laughter. She was described as talkative, mischievous, kind-hearted, and lovingly referred to as princess by those who cherished her.

 Felicia’s mother, who was also named Felicia, dreams about her daughter often. In the dreams, the little girl takes her mother by the hand. They walk together through their apartment complex. Then they stop at a door and Felicia says, “I’m only going to walk you up because I don’t think you can handle the rest.

” She said the dreams came so often she didn’t want to sleep anymore. In the wake of her loss, Felicia Demerson found solace and purpose by joining Circle of Mothers, an organization dedicated to supporting mothers who have lost children to violence. Drawing strength from her own experience, she now speaks at schools, sharing her story and encouraging children to speak up if they feel uncomfortable, unsafe, or troubled by someone’s actions.

 Her daughter, Sugar Plum, will forever be cherished by her community and loved ones. As her mother lovingly described her, she was mischievous. She loved people. She loved animals. And she most definitely loved her