WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — On day six of the Semmie Williams Jr. trial, the jury will continue its deliberations that began Thursday in an attempt to reach a verdict.
Williams faces a first-degree murder charge in the death of 14-year-old Ryan Rogers, who was riding his bike near his home in Palm Beach Gardens in November 2021 when police said he was randomly attacked and stabbed to death by Williams, who had no ties to the community or the teen.
WPTV WILL BE STREAMING THE VERDICT LIVE:
On Thursday morning, the judge granted the state's order to examine Williams' competency, however, the doctor deemed Williams competent for trial on Wednesday night. Williams also handed the judge a document stating he no longer wants his lawyer's services, and the judge left her chambers to review it.
The judge told Williams that the court still has the right to ensure his constitutional rights are being protected, and in this particular instance, based on Williams' schizophrenia diagnosis. The judge assured Williams that he would have the opportunity to communicate with the jury.
When it was time for the defense to question Williams, they showed a video from his YouTube channel. Williams said he has 300 videos that document gang stalking. In this video in particular, he described the man in the video, calling him a satanist who was making a pyramid and was wearing red to symbolize human sacrifice.
Williams went on to say he believes he was set up for the crime by the Masons based on numerology due to Ryan's birth date, age at which he was killed and how it occurred by I-95.
In its closing arguments, the state focused on DNA evidence linking Williams to the scene, surveillance footage of Williams making his way to Palm Beach Gardens and reiterated that the killing of Rogers was premeditated.
The defense argued that we don't know how secure the crime scene was, and that initially the case was not considered a homicide. Attorney Courtney Wilson said no evidence shows Williams had any premeditated intent to kill Rogers.
A verdict was not reached by Thursday evening. The jury will reconvene on Friday morning.
