Russell County DA warns jury of gruesome details coming in trial over 5-year-old’s death

Editor’s note: This story contains graphic reporting.

The Russell County District Attorney warned a jury Wednesday that it would hear gruesome and disturbing details about the rape and murder of a 5-year-old girl.

In an effort to convict Jeremy Tremaine Williams of the charges, District Attorney Rick Chancey told jurors in his opening arguments that they would see video evidence of these brutal crimes in an effort to show them who was at the heart of the case.

“What you haven’t seen is who we’re here about,” Chancey said before showing the jurors a picture of a smiling Kamarie Holland, a Phenix City girl who was sexually assaulted and strangled in December 2021. “It’s going to be tough, there’s no doubt.”

Williams faces multiple felony charges, including capital murder.

Jury selection began Monday for the case involving Williams, 39, who is set to stand trial in the murder of Holland. Williams already pleaded guilty to capital murder and other felonies, but Alabama law dictates that a case carrying the death penalty cannot be resolved by pleading guilty. He has to go to trial, and his pleas can be used against him as evidence.

Chancey told jurors the video evidence will show Williams performing sexual acts with Holland with a rope around her neck and hands. He said the video evidence will also show Williams abusing Holland’s corpse.

Chancey said other testimony will show that Williams confessed to other crimes, including offenses against a one-month-old child.

Attorney Andrew Maddox, co-counsel for Williams along with Charles “Chuck” Floyd III, told the jury that the case is about the state proving Williams’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and asked jurors to consider all evidence in the case.

Columbus police Sgt. Ryan Vardman testified first after openings and said he was called in to help interview Holland’s mother, Kristy Marie Siple, after she created a missing person report regarding her daughter.

While doing background research on both Siple and Williams, Vardman found a report made a few days earlier naming Williams as a suspect in another sexual assault.

Warrants were later issued for Williams’ arrest in that case and a search warrant was conducted at his residence on Dozier Street in Columbus, according to Vardman’s testimony.

Vardman testified a foam child’s chair from the movie “Frozen” was found in a shed in the back of the residence.

Williams’ wife returned to the residence during the search warrant and was told about Holland’s disappearance, according to Vardman. Vardman said Williams’ wife provided an address in Phenix City for officers to check out.

Vardman said he was at Dozier Street when he received the call that Williams had been taken into custody.

At another point, Vardman received a phone call telling him officers had found Holland’s body at the address Williams’ wife had provided, according to Vardman’s testimony.

Suspect’s confession came on Christmas Day

Further testimony Wednesday included input from Lt. Steve Johnson, who works with the Russell County Sheriff’s office in the Russell County Jail. He said Williams confessed to several crimes on Christmas Day of 2021, less than a month after Holland was killed.

Johnson testified in court Wednesday that he was called on Christmas Day 2021 because Williams wanted to talk to him and get things off his chest.

Johnson later met with Williams at the Russell County Sheriff’s Office and conducted a recorded interview. In that interview, Williams took responsibility for the death of his one-month-old daughter, Johnson said. Williams said he would punch and had thrown down the stairs numerous times.

Williams also confessed to sexually abusing another child, according to Johnson’s testimony.

Johnson testified that Williams said he’d been smoking meth for three and a half years at the time of the interview. Johnson said Williams told him he was introduced to Kristy Marie Siple, Holland’s mother, through a mutual friend. Williams said he and Siple would sometimes smoke meth together, according to Johnson’s testimony.

Williams proposed Siple let him commit sexual offenses against Siple’s daughter and Siple agreed for $2,500, according to Johnson.

Williams’ lawyers didn’t cross-examine Johnson.

Other evidence presented Wednesday included body camera video from officers who found Holland, and additional evidence prosecutors had collected.

This story was originally published April 10, 2024 at 2:08 PM.