Transcription
Mr. Richie, I need you to stand and please approach the podium. Mr. Richie, the court has thoroughly reviewed and considered the record concerning defendant's trial, including both the guilty and penalty proceedings, as well as the memoranda submitted by both the state and the defense. The court has also evaluated and weighed the aggravating factors the jury has found to exist beyond a reasonable doubt and the mitigating circumstances established by the evidence.
The court acknowledges that this weighing is not a quantitative comparison but instead requires a qualitative analysis of each aggravating factor and each mitigating circumstance. The court has assigned an appropriate weight to each and finds that the aggravating factors found to exist heavily outweigh the mitigating circumstances presented. The court finds that the jury's recommendation to impose a death sentence is consistent with its verdict and is based on the evidence presented regarding the aggravating and mitigating circumstances. The court agrees with the jury's unanimous recommendation based on its own assessment of the aggravating factors weighed against the mitigating circumstances. The court finds that the aggravating factors substantially outweigh the mitigating circumstances and sufficiently warrant a sentence of death in this case.
Therefore, the court finds that the sentence of death is the appropriate penalty the court should impose for the murder of 9-year-old Felicia Williams, as charged in count one of the indictment. Accordingly, as to count one for the first-degree murder of Felicia Williams, the defendant, Granville Richie, is hereby sentenced to death. Defendant shall be delivered into the custody of the Florida Department of Corrections at the Florida State Prison, where shall be confined until a date certain selected by the Governor of the State of Florida, and on that date, defendant shall be executed in a method provided for by the laws of the State of Florida.
As to count two for the sexual battery of a victim less than 12 years of age by a defendant over the age of 18, committed against 9-year-old Felicia Williams, defendant shall be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. As to count three for the aggravated child abuse of Felicia Williams, defendant shall be sentenced to 30 years imprisonment. Counts 1, 2, and 3 shall run consecutively to each other. However, the two cases you pled through earlier today will run concurrent with count one. Defendant is hereby notified that this sentence is subject to automatic review by the Supreme Court of Florida. Counsel will be appointed by separate order to represent defendant for that purpose. Further, pursuant to section 922.105, Florida Statutes, defendant has 30 days from the issuance of a mandate from the Supreme Court of Florida affirming the sentence of death to elect death by electrocution by the procedures required by law.
Mr. Richie, um, I do have one final thing to say to you. Um, there will be no corporal redemption for you. And what I mean by that is, of your, your physical being, your person, you will remain incarcerated until the date of your death is scheduled to occur. However, um, I do not know what your spiritual leanings are, and it really does not matter to me either way. I am very grateful that I live in a country where people can believe or disbelieve anything they choose, and that applies to you equally. Um, however, if you do ever pray, way to a higher power, either now or at some point before the date of your death is scheduled to occur, and you truly seek forgiveness and redemption for the sins and the crimes you have committed, I hope that you are granted it. And I do still see the humanity in you. May God have mercy on your soul. Mr. Richie, we are now concluded, other than I am going to to read, um, the note that I received that was unsealed or that was sealed. I'm now going to unseal it, and it is a card, and it says, "I thank God as I remember you." 2 Timothy 1:3. And it's from the family, Felicia Williams. And it's a photograph of Felicia, AKA Sugar Plum. And I, I wish to thank you all for this. God bless all of you. Thank you very much. We're now concluded.
The purposes of the charges that he to today, the understanding was was concurring everything. They are okay. I'm sorry, they are concurrent, um, as to, as to each. Yes, as each and every count. Very good. And he has more than the five years on those. Okay. Very good. Very good. Yeah. And correct. Thank you. And, uh, Mr. Brun Von and Mr. Harmon, I do have, uh, conform copies of the, um, sentencing order, the original.