WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — On day six of the Semmie Williams Jr. trial, the jury found him guilty of second-degree murder in the death of 14-year-old Ryan Rogers.
WATCH: Williams guilty of second-degree murder
WPTV's Kayla McDermott was in the courtroom, where she says Williams had no reaction when the guilty verdict was read. Rogers' father declined to speak, but appeared disappointed by the verdict.
The jury took roughly five hours to deliberate.
A hearing is set for next week, when we'll learn when Williams will be sentenced. The maximum sentence is life in prison, which is what the state is pushing for.
"Today's guilty verdict holds the defendant accountable for Ryan’s murder," said State Attorney Alexcia Cox in a statement. "While no verdict can ever ease the pain of losing a child, I hope this outcome brings some measure of justice to Ryan’s family and to a community that has carried this tragedy for too long."
Williams was previously facing a first-degree murder charge in the death of the 14-year-old, 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.
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.
WATCH: Jury reaches verdict
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.
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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.
