(CMR) Despite his lawyer arguing that his violent upbringing in Kingston, Jamaica should be taken into consideration, a Florida judge gave Granville Ritchie the death sentence for raping and killing a 9-year-old girl.
Ritchie was found guilty last year of first-degree murder, sexual battery, and aggravated child abuse.
In May 2014, Ritchie, 41 began dating Eboni Wiley who was a friend to the mother of 9-year-old Felecia Williams.
The prosecution argued that Wiley was a trusted friend of the family, and had even referred to the 9-year-old as her ‘god daughter' , so it was not strange when Wiley visited the home of Williams on May 16, 2014 noting that she was taking the girl to church.
However, Williams was never taken to a house of worship instead she was taken to an apartment that Ritchie had been staying.
After arriving at the apartment it is was said in court that Ritchie took an ecstasy pill and Wiley had left the girl with Ritchie for over an hour, as she went to pick up more drugs.
It was alleged that during the time Ritchie was left alone with the 9-year-old he raped and killed her.
According to Wiley, after returning from her drug run, she was unable to find the child and was told by Ritchie that the child had disappeared after going to buy candy.
According to the prosecution, Ritchie had hid the girl's body in a suitcase and later dumped her from a causeway into Tampa Bay.
Wiley had initially told police that the girl ran away but changed her story after Williams' body was found, officials said.
Wiley who was later charged with lying during a missing person investigation is scheduled to face trial next month.
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