Murder convictions, sentence upheld by AL appeals court in Kamarie Holland case
The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals upheld the murder conviction and death sentence of a man found guilty in the 2021 death of a Phenix City girl.
Jeremy Williams was found guilty on multiple capital murder charges in April 2024 in the kidnapping, rape and murder of Kamarie Holland.
As a result, Judge David A. Johnson sentenced Williams to death.
Williams later entered a motion to have the remainder of his appeals waived, which would expedite his execution.
The appeals process can take decades for death-penalty cases in Alabama, the Ledger-Enquirer previously reported.
Johnson found Williams competent to waive his future appeals and his right to appellate counsel.
In its ruling on March 27, the Alabama Criminal Court of Appeals said it “automatically” had to consider an appeal since the case involved capital murder and a death sentence. It reviewed the evidence presented during trial and considered if a death sentence was the appropriate punishment.
“The evidence of Williams’s guilt on all four capital-murder charges, which included Williams’s admission of guilt, was overwhelming. Consequently, this Court has no trouble concluding that the State met its burden of proof for each conviction,” the ruling said. “ ... Our review of the sentencing order demonstrates that the circuit court properly weighed the aggravating circumstances and the mitigating circumstances and correctly sentenced Williams to death. The record supports the circuit court’s decision.”
After the court’s decision, Russell County District Attorney Rick Chancey told the Ledger-Enquirer, “if no other appeals are filed, which the Defendant has asked not to happen, then in three weeks the Attorney General can seek a Writ from the Alabama Supreme Court to order the case be sent to the Governor’s Office for a Warrant to set a date and time for the execution.
“We are one step closer to the victims getting justice. Kamarie can not be given back to us, but we can get justice.”
Background of the case
Holland’s death in December 2021 came after her mother, Kristy Marie Siple, and Williams came to an agreement to let Williams commit sexual offenses against the 5-year-old girl for $2,500.
Siple pleaded guilty to human trafficking in the case, the Ledger-Enquirer has reported. She agreed to serve a sentence of 20 years and testify against Williams as part of the plea, but was not called as a witness during trial.
Cell phone pings showed Williams left Siple’s residence on Bowman Street, in Columbus, and headed to his residence on Dozier Street before going to the 15th Avenue location in Phenix City.
Holland’s body was found by Columbus Police Department officers covered by a tarp and insulation in the back of a home on 15th Avenue in Phenix City .
In the course of the trial, the jury heard testimony from the CPD officers who found Holland’s body and the doctor who performed the autopsy, and also saw video of Williams assaulting Holland.
David Rydzewski, a forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy on Holland, testified blood taken from Holland revealed methamphetamine and amphetamine in her body.
Williams claimed he made Holland smoke meth, according to testimony given by Sgt. Brad Evans with the Russell County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators found six videos of Williams sexually assaulting Holland on his phone. They were able to identify Williams in the footage after he dropped the phone, causing the camera to flip around and show Williams.
Before the trial, Williams pleaded guilty to charges involving Holland’s death. However, Alabama law dictates that a case carrying the death penalty cannot be resolved by pleading guilty.
Those guilty pleas were later entered as exhibits during the trial for the jury to consider.