Former soldier Naeem Williams is facing the death penalty for the murder of his 5-year-old daughter. He beat his daughter to death in 2005, and was convicted of capital murder in April. He stood in front of the jury that convicted him Wednesday and asked jurors to let him live.
Hawaii News Now reports that Williams said to the jury, “I asked for a chance to speak to you one more time because I want you all to know how sorry I am for the terrible things I did. Talia deserved a better father than me. Instead of helping and protecting Talia, I hurt and killed her.”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2649143/Ex-soldier-apologizes-fatally-beating-daughter.html> Mail Online reports there was little visible reaction from the jurors.
Williams has two other children, an 11-year-old son who lives in Georgia and a 9-year-old daughter who lives in Tennessee. The Star Adviser reports that he said that he wants the chance to be a better father to his two other children. The children testified Wednesday that they enjoy their relationship with their father.
If Williams is sentenced to death, it will be the first time in the history of Hawaii’s statehood, because territorial leaders abolished capital punishment in 1957.