A 60-year-old Florida man who brutally beat a 21-year-old woman to death 39 years ago has been released from prison the day after he confessed to the crime.State Circuit Judge Simone Law order on tuesday Ralph Williams Serves 10 years probation for murder in 1983 Carla Lawcourt records reviewed by the Law&Crime show.
In November 2021, Williams was indicted by a Palm Beach County grand jury for first-degree murder in the murder of Rowe. However, on November 15, Williams reached an agreement with prosecutors in the 15th Circuit’s office to plead his one count of first-degree manslaughter with a weapon. After the two sides reached an agreement, Judge Lowe sentenced Williams to one year in prison, suspended for ten years, while allowing Williams to serve one year.
Williams was therefore released from custody later that same day to begin his probation period.
A day before making a plea bargain, Williams reportedly rejected another plea bargain from prosecutors. palm beach report. Williams reportedly claimed that attorneys at the Palm Beach County Public Defender’s Office were ineffective in defending him and demanded that the attorneys be removed by the court at Nelson’s hearing. The judge concluded that Williams’ attorneys had provided competent representation and denied the request, according to court records.
state attorney Dave AronbergThe firm prosecuted the case.
“[Tuesday’s] The guilty plea and sentencing are imperfect, but hopefully provide a measure of justice for the family of murder victim Carla Lowe in this nearly 40-year-old unsolved case.Ralph Williams The work that led to the conviction. ”
NBC affiliate WPTV of West Palm Beach reported that on November 13, 1983, Rowe’s body was found in the 1700 block area of Depot Avenue in Broward County. A Delray Beach police investigator reportedly said she was waiting for a train at a local Amtrak station when she was attacked, beaten to death, and run over by a car.
Police reportedly found Lowe’s car, a 1963 Mercury Comet, in a field just east of 1135 West Atlantic Avenue.
Investigators were unable to identify a suspect in the case for decades until detectives came forward. Todd Clancy of the DBPD cold case unit. Investigators were reportedly able to identify Williams as a suspect using advanced fingerprint analysis technology not available in 1983.
Investigators were unable to find any connection of any kind between Lowe and Williams, and the motive for the killing reportedly remains unknown. It would have been on trial in the month.
Rowe’s nephew, Danny Cogdillreportedly palm beach Most of his family wanted the case to go to trial.
“It’s sad that he’s offered [a plea deal] On Monday, he has to get his family back there again,” Cogdill reportedly told the newspaper. “Unfortunately, dealing with a cold-hearted person has little to do with the damage it does to his family.”
[image via Delray Beach Police Department]
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