State v. Williams

ORR, Justice.

The defendant, James Edward Williams, was found guilty of first-degree murder both on the basis of premeditation and deliberation and under the felony murder rule. He was also found guilty of common law robbery. After a capital sentencing hearing, the jury recommended a sentence of death for the first-degree murder conviction; Judge Greeson sentenced defendant accordingly and additionally sentenced defendant to a consecutive term of ten years’ imprisonment on the robbery conviction.

The evidence tended to show that defendant and Bernice Sikes were “boyfriend-girlfriend.” While…