Judge rules on request of Kamarie Holland’s killer to expedite his execution
A man convicted of killing a child from Columbus in Phenix City appeared Friday before a Russell County Circuit Court judge to find whether he is competent to waive his future appeals.
Jeremy Williams was convicted on capital murder charges in April 2024 for the rape and murder of 5-year-old Kamarie Holland.
Williams previously entered a motion to have the remainder of his appeals in the death-penalty case waived, which would expedite his execution.
The appeals process can take decades for death-penalty cases in Alabama, the Ledger-Enquirer reported.
Judge David Johnson found Williams is competent to waive his future appeals and his right to appellate counsel. The case now will be sent back to the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals, where they will review Johnson’s decision.
The appellate court also will conduct a plain-error review of the case. Cornell Law School says plain error “is error that is plainly evident from the record and affects a litigant’s substantial right(s).”
Jeremy Williams murder trial in Kamarie Holland case
At the trial last year, testimony by Columbus police officers who found Holland’s body, the doctor who performed her autopsy and a video of Williams assaulting Holland were shown to the jury.
Dr. David Rydzewski, a forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy on Holland, testified that blood taken from Holland revealed methamphetamine and amphetamine in her body.
Holland’s assault and death came after Williams asked Holland’s mother, Kristy Marie Siple, to let him commit sexual offenses against Holland, and Siple agreed for $2,500, according to Lt. Steve Johnson of the Russell County Sheriff’s Office.
Lt. Johnson said Williams confessed to several crimes to him Christmas Day of 2021.
Siple pleaded guilty to human trafficking in the case, the Ledger-Enquirer reported. She agreed to serve a sentence of 20 years and testify against Williams as part of the plea, but she was not called to testify in Williams’ trial.
Russell County DA and Sheriff react
Russell County District Attorney Rick Chancey said he thinks Williams “wants to be gone.”
“I don’t want to go so far as to say this man feels remorse or guilt. I don’t think he does. I think that he wants it his way,” Chancey told reporters after Friday’s hearing.
“When I see Jeremy, I see Kamarie and what horror she went through,” Chancey said.
Chancey said he hopes Williams suffers to the day he dies and he would be happy for Williams to be gone so he doesn’t have to think about him anymore.
Russell County Sheriff Heath Taylor said Williams ranks atop the list of criminals he has seen in the community.
“My 38 years, I mean, we’ve had some terrible cases, we’ve had some pretty horrific cases, in my opinion, Jeremy’s number one,” Taylor told reporters after Friday’s hearing.
“This was the first case in my career that I had to send investigators home when they found that on his phone,” Taylor said, referring to the videos of Williams raping Holland. Taylor said the investigators were “disturbed” after seeing the videos.
“I certainly think he should be moved to the top of the line and executed next week, if possible,” Taylor said. Although, Taylor said, he knows procedures and policies are in place to make sure Williams is competent.
Taylor talked about how he would feel when Williams is executed.
“I certainly would be relieved that he’s no longer breathing air on this earth,” Taylor said.
This story was originally published May 23, 2025 at 1:18 PM.