Father Of Raped, Murdered 9-Year-Old Forgives Daughter's Killer

TAMPA, FL — On Friday, the father of a 9-year-old girl who was raped, killed and placed in a suitcase that was thrown off the Courtney Campbell Causeway in May 2014 forgave his daughter's killer, according to the WFLA News Channel 8.

In September 2019, Granville Ashanti Ritchie was found guilty of the murder of Felecia Williams in 2014. According to WFLA TV., the girl's father, Jerome Williams, took the stand at Ritchie's sentencing hearing Friday and told Ritchie he forgives him.

Ritchie was charged with first-degree murder, capital sexual battery and aggravated child abuse charges in the girl's death on May 16, 2014.

Williams' nude body was found around 3:30 p.m. May 17 by a person walking along the shoreline of the north side of the Courtney Campbell Causeway. The Clearwater Police Department was called to the scene and discovered the little girl suffered blunt force trauma to her head prior to her death, and she had been sexually assaulted and strangled.

Williams and the adult she was with, Eboni Wiley, were picked up around 3:30 p.m. May 16 by Ritchie, according to police. The three went to Ritchie's apartment at 8910 Tanglewood Lane in Temple Terrace. Just before 5 p.m., Wiley left the apartment for just over an hour and left Ritchie to watch the girl.

"When Wiley returned to the apartment at approximately 6 p.m., Ritchie met her at the door, shirtless and sweating," Temple Terrace Police said. "Ritchie was highly upset and told Wiley that Felecia had 'run off.'"

Ritchie initially told police he and Wiley were occupied in the bedroom when Williams left the apartment. Wiley, however, later admitted otherwise.

When police searched Ritchie's apartment, they found evidence indicating that Williams' body had been stuffed in a suitcase and dragged from the apartment.

For more details on what Williams said to Ritchie in court Friday, read the story by WFLA News Channel 8.

See related story: Arrest Made in Felecia Williams' Murder