(Akeem Aki-Khuam)
Judge James E. Letsinger
Prosecutor: John J. Burke
Defense: Daniel R. Schneider, Darnail Lyles
Date of Murder: June 19, 1992
Victim(s): Robert Hollins B/M/26; Debra Rice B/F/42; Michael Richardson B/M/41 (No relationship to Williams)
Method of Murder: shooting with handgun
Summary: Williams, Jemelle Joshua and three others went to the home of school teacher Michael Richardson, intent on stealing the audio and video equipment from his basement. Williams and Joshua were admitted to the home and let the three accomplices in. Williams held a handgun to Richardson's head and Joshua held a shotgun on Richardson's sister, Debra Rice, while the other three men went to the basement. Robert Hollins, a guest in the home, struggled with one of the men and was shot in the back by Williams. Debra Rice tried to escape and Joshua shot her in the chest. The equipment proved too difficult to remove from the basement, and as the invaders were leaving the home, Williams shot Richardson, Rice, and Hollins once in the head. A few hours later, he would tell his sister that he did so in order not to leave any witnesses.
Conviction: Murder (3 counts), Felony-Murder (3 counts) (Hung Jury on Death Sentence)
Sentencing: March 2, 1993 (Death Sentence)
Aggravating Circumstances: b (1) Robbery (3 counts), 3 murders
Mitigating Circumstances: low IQ, father convicted of abusing Williams as a child
Hung Jury on Death Sentence
Direct Appeal:
Edward Williams v. State, 669 N.E.2d 1372 (Ind. August 7, 1996)
Conviction Affirmed 5-0 DP Affirmed 5-0
Sullivan Opinion; Shepard, Debruler, Dickson, Selby concur.
Williams v. Indiana, 117 S.Ct. 1828 (1997) (Cert. denied)
PCR:
PCR Petition filed 01-22-97. PCR denied 02-19-97 by Special Judge Richard W. Maroc.
Edward Williams v. State, 724 N.E.2d 1070 (Ind. February 23, 2000)
(Appeal of PCR denial by Special Judge Richard W. Maroc)
(Affirmed 5-0; Shepard Opinion, Dickson, Sullivan, Boehm, Rucker concur)
Williams v. Indiana, 121 S.Ct. 886 (2001) (Cert. denied)
Habeas:
Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus filed 12-14-00 in U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana.
Writ granted 11-07-02 by U.S. District Court Judge Allen Sharp.
Aki-Khuam v. Davis, 203 F. Supp.2d 1001 (N.D. Ind. March 25, 2002).
(Order of U.S. District Court Judge Allen Sharp, Northern District of Indiana, granting Writ of Habeas Corpus as to conviction and sentence on grounds that the trial judge improperly denied peremptory challenges of white jurors by the defense.)
Aki-Khuam v. Davis, 328 F.3d 366 (7th Cir. May 8, 2003).
(This opinion vacated and replaced by opinion dated August 5, 2003)
Aki-Khuam v. Davis, 339 F.3d 521 (7th Cir. August 5, 2003) (Vacating Opinion dated May 8, 2003).
(Appeal of grant of Habeas Corpus by Judge Allen Sharp)
Affirmed 3-0, Conviction Reversed, DP Vacated.
Opinion by Circuit Judge William J. Bauer, Judge Ilana Diamond Rovner, Judge Diane P. Wood.
(Trial court's modification of Batson procedure, by not requiring initial challenge by prosecution and by rejecting race-neutral reasons at step two of Batson analysis, was contrary to clearly established federal law.)
NEW GUILT AND DEATH PENALTY SENTENCING TRIAL PENDING IN LAKE COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT.
As of July 1, 2006