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Thread: Army Spc. Naeem Williams Gets LWOP in 2005 HI Slaying of Talia Emoni Williams

  1. #21
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    Death penalty case moves closer to conclusion

    Jurors could soon begin deliberating over whether a former Hawaii-based soldier convicted of murder should be sentenced to death.

    Closing arguments are scheduled Thursday in the sentencing eligibility phase of the Naeem Williams trial. Deliberations are expected to follow.

    The jury last month convicted Williams in the 2005 beating death of his 5-year-old daughter, Talia.

    Williams faces the death penalty even though Hawaii abolished capital punishment in 1957. Because the crime took place on military property, the case is in the federal justice system, which allows for the death penalty.

    The sentencing hearings have been ongoing for several weeks, with experts testifying about Williams' low IQ. The defense is trying to show that his low level of intelligence doesn't make him eligible for a death sentence.

    http://www.seattlepi.com/news/crime/...on-5498080.php
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

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  2. #22
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    Deliberations to begin in whether former Hawaii soldier is eligible for death sentence

    HONOLULU – Lawyers were making their final arguments to jurors in the sentencing-eligibility phase of the trial of Naeem Williams, who was convicted last month in the 2005 beating death of his 5-year-old daughter, Talia.

    Prosecutors said Thursday that Williams intended to inflict severe physical pain and suffering on his daughter. They say that intent makes Williams eligible for the death penalty.

    "His intent was clear," prosecuting attorney Steven Mellin said. "He intended to and did cause severe physical pain and suffering. He hit her so hard that even he couldn't cover up the resulting impact."

    Williams' lawyer Michael Burt said his client's violent actions were intended to discipline his daughter for urinating on herself. Williams was disciplined with a belt by his own father, Burt said.

    "He always said: 'I did not want to inflict extreme pain on Talia. All I wanted to do is to ... stop her from using the bathroom on herself,' " Burt said.

    Burt also argued that Williams was mentally impaired. During several weeks of sentencing hearings, defense lawyers brought in experts to testify about Williams' low IQ in an attempt to show that his low level of intelligence doesn't make him eligible for a death sentence

    "The cold reality of this case is that both the defense experts and the government experts found important deficits," Burt said.

    Mellin argued that Williams intended to do more than discipline his daughter, noting that at one point in the days leading up to her death Williams acknowledged that his daughter "smelt like death."

    "He repeatedly and meticulously duct-taped his daughter to the bed post and beat her," Mellin said. "He hit her so many times with the belt or fist he lost count."

    Williams faces the death penalty even though Hawaii abolished capital punishment in 1957. Because the crime took place on military property, the case is in the federal justice system, which allows for the death penalty.

    Jury deliberations are expected to follow the closing arguments.

    http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/05/22...ble-for-death/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  3. #23
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    Jury Finds Ex-Soldier Eligible for Death Penalty

    By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER
    Associated Press

    A federal jury on Friday decided a former Hawaii soldier convicted of murder is eligible for the death penalty in the first capital case in the history of Hawaii's statehood.

    Jurors will next deliberate on whether Naeem Williams should be sentenced to death or life in prison with no possibility of release for killing his 5-year-old daughter.

    That phase of the trial begins Wednesday and will include a new round of opening statements and evidence.

    The same jury last month convicted Williams in his daughter Talia's 2005 beating death. The drawn-out case has gained attention in part because it involves a capital offense in a state that doesn't have the death penalty.

    Hawaii's territorial government abolished capital punishment in 1957. But Williams was tried in the federal system— which allows for the death penalty— because the crime occurred on military property.

    Williams' defense team argued he was not eligible for a death sentence because of his low IQ. Mental health experts testified about intellectual impairments and low test scores.

    The prosecution contended factors such as Talia's age and vulnerability made the killing so heinous that the death penalty was warranted.

    Williams and Talia's stepmother, Delilah Williams, testified during the guilt phase of the trial that they beat her almost daily with hands and belts during the seven months she lived with them in Hawaii.

    Naeem Williams blamed the beatings on the child's bowel and bladder control issues, coupled with frustrations he faced in his marriage.

    His wife, Delilah, testified against him as part of a deal with prosecutors for a 20-year sentence. She provided graphic and disturbing details of abuse that included withholding food from the girl for days at a time, beatings while the child was duct-taped to a bed, pulling her so hard by the hair that she was left with a bald spot, and stomping on her until bone cracked.

    The couple eventually took the kindergartner out of school so that others wouldn't see the signs of abuse on Talia's body.

    Prosecutors say she died on July 16, 2005, after her father dealt a blow so hard it left knuckle imprints on her chest. Naeem Williams said he beat the girl that day partly because of toothpaste she spit onto the bathroom sink.

    The resolution of the case also paves the way for Delilah Williams' sentence. Her public defender, Alexander Seabright, requested that she be immediately sentenced and moved to a mainland prison after she testified, satisfying terms of her plea deal.

    But U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright ruled that Delilah Williams must wait until jurors in Naeem Williams' trial have been dismissed before she can be sentenced.

    http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/j...nalty-23852112

  4. #24
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    Hawaii case focuses on character after jury decides soldier is eligible for death penalty

    HONOLULU – Jurors in Hawaii are set to begin considering whether a former soldier should be sentenced to death or life in prison for killing his 5-year-old daughter.

    Jurors deliberated for about a day before announcing a verdict Friday finding Naeem Williams eligible for the death penalty in the first capital case in the history of Hawaii's statehood.

    The jury returns to court on Wednesday to begin hearing testimony about whether he will be sentenced to death or life in prison with no possibility for release.

    That phase in the case will include a new round of opening statements and deliberations. The defense is expected to present witnesses testifying about Williams as a person while the prosecution is expected to continue arguing that the crime was especially heinous and deserving of the death penalty.

    The same jury last month convicted Williams of murder in his daughter Talia's 2005 beating death. The drawn-out case has gained attention in part because it involves a capital offense in a state that doesn't have the death penalty.

    Hawaii's territorial government abolished capital punishment in 1957, before Hawaii became a U.S. state in 1959. But Williams was tried in the federal system — which allows for the death penalty — because the crime occurred on military property.

    Lawyers for both the prosecution and defense declined comment Friday after the jury's eligibility decision was read.

    Williams' defense team argued he was not eligible for a death sentence because of his low IQ. Mental health experts testified about intellectual impairments and low test scores.

    The prosecution contended factors such as Talia's age and vulnerability made the killing so heinous that the death penalty was warranted.

    Jurors decided Williams met all key conditions to be eligible for the death penalty: He was an adult; his actions were intentional that resulted in the girl's death; and the crime was especially heinous and the victim was vulnerable because of her youth.

    One juror appeared to cry as jurors were polled.

    Williams and Talia's stepmother, Delilah Williams, testified during the guilt phase of the trial that they beat her almost daily with hands and belts during the seven months she lived with them in Hawaii.

    Naeem Williams blamed the beatings on the child's bowel- and bladder-control issues, coupled with frustrations he faced in his marriage.

    His wife, Delilah, testified against him as part of a deal with prosecutors for a 20-year sentence. She provided graphic and disturbing details of abuse that included withholding food from the girl for days at a time, beatings while the child was duct-taped to a bed, pulling her so hard by the hair that she was left with a bald spot, and stomping on her until bone cracked.

    The couple eventually took the kindergartner out of school so that others wouldn't see the signs of abuse on Talia's body.

    Prosecutors say she died on July 16, 2005, after her father dealt a blow so hard it left knuckle imprints on her chest. Naeem Williams said he beat the girl that day partly because of toothpaste she spit onto the bathroom sink.

    The resolution of the case also paves the way for Delilah Williams' sentence. Her public defender, Alexander Silvert, requested that she be immediately sentenced and moved to a mainland prison after she testified, satisfying terms of her plea deal.

    But U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright ruled that Delilah Williams must wait until jurors in Naeem Williams' trial have been dismissed before she can be sentenced.

    http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/05/24...-eligible-for/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  5. #25
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    Sentencing phase of death penalty trial to begin

    Jurors are expected to begin weighing whether the former Hawaii soldier they convicted of murder must be sentenced to death.

    The federal jury last month convicted Naeem Williams of murder in the beating death of his 5-year-old daughter. Last week, they determined that Williams is eligible for the death penalty. The final sentencing phase begins Wednesday with opening statements.

    In this phase, jurors will hear testimony and later deliberate on whether the sentence must be death or life in prison without possibility for release. The judge will then impose the sentence.

    The defense is expected to present evidence about Williams as a person in an effort to show why he doesn't deserve a death sentence. The prosecution is expected to present evidence highlighting how heinous Talia's killing was.

    (source: Associated Press)
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

  6. #26
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    Expert attempts to explain former Hawaii soldier's actions in quest to avoid death sentence

    HONOLULU – There are reasons why a former Hawaii soldier beat his 5-year-old to death, a social psychologist testified Thursday.

    Naeem Williams, facing the death penalty after being convicted of murder in his daughter's 2005 beating death, is an example of how "situational factors" can cause someone to commit a crime, said Craig Haney a professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

    Williams' defense team is trying to convince a jury not to choose a death sentence for him. Jurors have been listening to testimony from family and friends who want Williams to instead be sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison.

    Factors that contributed to Williams' abusive actions included the physical abuse he suffered from his stepfather as a child, being in a tumultuous marriage and living in Hawaii, where he was isolated from extended family members who could have "seen danger signs and intervened," Haney said.

    Williams previously testified that he beat his daughter Talia almost daily to discipline her for having bathroom accidents and because of frustrations in his marriage to the girl's stepmother.

    Williams was a "decent person up until these events, and a decent person afterward," Haney said.

    Haney, who was one of the researchers involved in a 1971 incarceration study known as the Stanford prison experiment, said Williams would do well if sentenced to life in prison.

    He described Williams as a "model inmate" at the Honolulu Federal Detention Center, where he has counseled a fellow inmate on the importance of family and has taken classes on religion, typing and Hawaiian history and culture.

    The abuse Talia suffered was "uncharacteristic" for Williams, who Haney described as "passive, almost to a fault," who had previously led a law-abiding life.

    "I'm not trying to excuse it," Haney said, "I'm trying to explain it."

    http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/05/29...uest-to-avoid/

  7. #27
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    Family, friends, ex-lover recount parts of former soldier's life in weighing death sentence

    HONOLULU – Friends, family and acquaintances of a former Hawaii soldier facing a death sentence for the murder of his 5-year-old daughter have been testifying about his background and character as his defense lawyers try to convince jurors to spare his life.

    After hearing testimony, the federal jury will deliberate on whether Naeem Williams should be sentenced to death or to spend the rest of his life in prison. They convicted Williams of capital murder after a trial where he testified that he beat his daughter Talia often to discipline her for bathroom accidents and because of frustrations in his marriage to his wife, Delilah Williams, the child's stepmother. The same jury later agreed with prosecutors that the circumstances surrounding the crimes warranted consideration of the death penalty.

    If sentenced to death, it will be the first time in the history of Hawaii's statehood because territorial leaders abolished capital punishment in 1957. But because the crime occurred on military property, the case is in federal court, where the death penalty is available.

    Naeem Williams' sisters, former Army colleagues and others have been in court since Wednesday telling jurors about why his life is valuable — despite the conviction.
    Some highlights of the testimony so far:

    UYLESSA MUSE (YOUNGER SISTER)

    Through tears, Uylessa Muse described physical abuse her brother suffered from her father, Williams' stepfather. She said her father treated Williams badly because he wasn't his biological child.

    "Does Naeem Williams still hold a place of importance for you in your life?" asked defense attorney John Philipsborn.

    Muse sobbed. After a pause, she replied, "He does."

    "He's my brother," she continued. "He's my friend and he's been a confidant for me. He's been a pillar of support in everything I've done. ... He's been there without judgment or ridicule. When I think of him he just makes my heart smile. I love him so much."

    YAID CARDONA (FORMER ARMY COLLEAGUE)

    Cardona described Williams as easygoing and disciplined. "He was always quiet. He'd keep to himself," Cardona said. "He was creased up, boots shined...he was good."

    Much of his testimony focused on the couple's rocky relationship. "They used to argue a lot...mostly on her part," he said. "She was a very, very jealous person...very jealous."

    Cardona described an incident where Delilah Williams barged into the barracks, accusing him of being unfaithful. Using expletives, mimicking a woman's voice and pounding on the witness stand, Cardona tried to demonstrate how she pounded on the door, causing jurors to explode in a rare moment of laughter.

    DAISY PRUITT (FORMER LOVER)

    Pruitt said she met Williams in an Internet chat room around 2004, while he was stationed in Hawaii. She said they had a sexual relationship and she later learned that he was married when his wife called her, demanding they stop seeing each other.

    "He was really nice," she said, adding that she hasn't been in contact with him since about 2005.

    TRENIA MUSE (AUNT)

    Trenia Muse described her nephew as someone who yearned to be loved because his stepfather, her brother, "acted as if he hated that child."

    She said it would be sad to lose him: "His life means everything to me."

    NOEL VIYAR (FORMER FEDERAL PRISON INMATE)

    Viyar, convicted on a meth charge, was in the same unit as Williams at the Honolulu Federal Detention Center in 2007, where they took a typing class together.

    "He's a very decent man and he never talked about other people," Viyar said, adding that Williams got along with everyone.

    TERRANCE MUSE (AN OLDER COUSIN)

    Terrance Muse said Williams was never violent or rough, even with his wife Delilah, whom he described as controlling.

    "He's my first cousin, somebody I loved from the day I first met him," he said. "Even though this happened, I can't stop loving him."

    http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/05/30...eighing-death/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  8. #28
    Administrator Helen's Avatar
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    That's pretty pathetic that 2 of your character witnesses are a woman who had an adulterous affair with you and your meth dealing cell mate
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  9. #29
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    Warden: Williams could adjust well to life sentence in prison

    By Nelson Daranciang

    A retired federal prison warden told a U.S. District Court jury Tuesday morning that if former Schofield Barracks soldier Naeem Williams is spared the death sentence he will likely adjust well to spending the rest of his life behind bars and could make a positive contribution to the prison system.

    Williams, 34, is facing the death penalty in connection with the beating death of his 5-year-old daughter Talia in 2005 at their military family quarters at Wheeler Army Airfield.

    The jury that found him guilty of two counts of capital murder last month is now being asked to decide whether Williams should get the death penalty for the offenses or sentenced to life in prison without possibility for release. The trail's sentencing phase testimony got underway on Wednesday.

    Mark Bezy said he believes Williams will adjust well to life behind bars based on his record at the U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners, where Williams was in custody for about a about a year, and his record at the Federal Detention Center here, where he has been in custody for the balance of his nine years of pretrial incarceration.

    Bezy served as warden at the Terre Haute Federal Correctional Complex in Indiana before he retired and started his own correctional consulting business.

    "He's going to go through some difficulties," Bezy said, but noted that he sees no reason that Williams won't adjust.

    Among those difficulties, he said, will be some inmates looking down on Williams because of the nature of his crimes. Bezy added that white prison groups are most aggressive in "clearing the yard of certain kind of offenders." But, he said, over time Williams could gain the respect of other inmates.

    http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/b...in_prison.html

  10. #30
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    Ex-soldier facing death penalty apologizes for killing daughter, asks jury to let him live

    By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER
    Associated Press

    HONOLULU — A former soldier facing the death penalty for the murder of his 5-year-old daughter apologized in court Wednesday and asked jurors to let him live.

    Naeem Williams stood at a podium facing jurors and read a statement punctuated with long pauses and sniffles. The jury that convicted him of capital murder in April will determine if he's sentenced to death or life in prison for the 2005 beating death.

    "Talia deserved a better father than me," he said. "Instead of helping and protecting Talia, I hurt and I killed her."

    Most of the jurors didn't seem to show any reaction. One juror looked at the ceiling for most of the statement. They previously heard him testify that while he was stationed in Hawaii, he and Talia's stepmother, Delilah Williams, beat the child almost daily. He said he was disciplining her for bathroom accidents and because of frustrations he was experiencing in his marriage.

    If Naeem Williams is sentenced to death, it will be the first time in the history of Hawaii's statehood because territorial leaders abolished capital punishment in 1957. But because the crime occurred on military property, the case is in federal court, where the death penalty is available.

    Williams said he wants the chance to be a better father to his two other children, an 11-year-old son who lives in Georgia and a 9-year-old daughter who lives in Tennessee.

    The children testified Wednesday that they enjoy their relationship with him even though he's incarcerated thousands of miles away in Hawaii.

    His daughter was born in Hawaii and was an infant when Talia was killed. She said she's visited him at the Honolulu Federal Detention Center — the same facility where her mother is incarcerated because she pleaded guilty to her role in Talia's death. Delilah Williams testified against her husband as part of a deal for a 20-year sentence.

    Naeem Williams testified previously that he delayed calling 911 when Talia didn't get up from one of his blows. He said he and his wife fretted over making sure a relative could pick up the infant.

    The girl said she talks to her dad on the phone every Sunday and emails with him.

    The boy said he talks to his father three to five times a month and emails with him a couple times a month.

    They discuss what he wants for his birthday or Christmas, he said.

    "We talk about a lot of stuff. We might talk about maybe who's playing basketball or who's your favorite team," the soon-to-be-sixth-grader said. "We talk about stuff like that."

    The boy broke down in tears when asked about how he feels about his father.

    "I love my dad," he said. "I really need him."

    http://www.therepublic.com/view/stor...aughter-Killed

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