TAMPA, Fla.(10News) — A Tampa rapper convicted of killing a pregnant woman & her unborn child is asking a Hillsborough County judge to sentence him to death.
Billy Adams III, 28, wrote to Circuit Judge Mark Wolfe, asking him to follow the jury's sentencing recommendations when the case returns to court Dec. 1.
In September, jurors found Adams guilty in the January 2023 killing of 22-year-old Alana Sims & her unborn daughter.
The same jury voted 8-4 to recommend the death penalty for the unborn child's killing, while recommending life in prison without the possibility of parole for Sims' murder.
In the letter, filed with the Hillsborough County Clerk of Court on Oct. 12, Adams says he wants to waive the presentation of additional mitigating evidence or arguments that could persuade the judge to spare his life.
In a letter to the court, Billy Adams asked a judge to sentence him to death without presenting any mitigating arguments.
"I don't want my lawyers to present any mitigation or arguments at this hearing," Adams wrote, adding that his attorneys had explained the consequences of waiving mitigation.
He also stated, "I don't have an issue with the death penalty."
Sims was found dead after being shot on Jan. 30, 2023, along an unfinished roadway in New Tampa's Easton Park neighborhood. Her 1-year-old son was found unharmed inside a nearby car. Adams was charged just days after he was acquitted in a separate double murder case.
At trial, prosecutors argued that Adams killed Sims because he believed he was the father of her unborn child & did not want the responsibility. Testing later showed that Adams was not the child's biological father.
The upcoming Dec. 1 proceeding, known as a Spencer hearing, gives prosecutors & defense attorneys a chance to present additional sentencing evidence before the judge makes a final decision.
Adams' request does not mean he will automatically receive a death sentence. The judge must still determine whether to impose death or life in prison for the unborn child's killing.
The court has not yet ruled on Adams' request to waive mitigation.
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