A Tampa jury found Billy Adams guilty of first-degree murder for killing his pregnant girlfriend and her unborn child, a conviction that now places the 25-year-old rapper in line for a possible death penalty sentence as prosecutors present evidence of calculated deception and premeditated violence.
Guilty Verdict After Six-Hour Deliberation
After nearly six hours of deliberation on Tuesday, jurors convicted Adams on two counts of first-degree murder for the January 2023 killing of Alana Sims, 22, who was five months pregnant at the time. The shooting occurred in an unfinished area of the Easton Park neighborhood in New Tampa, where prosecutors said Adams lured Sims with vague directions that led nowhere specific. The killing happened just three days after Adams walked free from an unrelated double-murder trial, raising questions about his pattern of alleged violence.
Prosecutor Lindsey Hodges told the jury Adams manipulated Sims from the beginning. “She trusted him. She hoped that his words of love and a future together actually meant something,” Hodges said. “The defendant manipulated and lied to her for his benefit, his gain and for one purpose, and that one purpose was to kill both of them.” The state argued Adams wanted to eliminate Sims and her unborn child, whom Adams believed to be his own.
Testimony Reveals Orchestrated Cover-Up
The prosecution presented damaging testimony from Bryan Boggs, an inmate housed in Hillsborough County Jail during Adams’ arrest. Boggs testified that Adams drafted letters from jail to three different women, instructing them precisely what to tell investigators to establish a false alibi. Boggs copied the letters in his own handwriting to disguise their origin, providing prosecutors with direct evidence of Adams’ attempts to obstruct justice and manufacture a defense narrative.
Jurors also heard from Lakenya Brantley, identified as Adams’ primary girlfriend, who detailed their relationship and read text messages sent the day before the shooting. The defense attempted to argue that everyone believed Adams was the father of Sims’ child, suggesting the pregnancy would not have threatened his relationship. Defense attorneys also challenged Boggs’ credibility, though the jury ultimately sided with the prosecution’s narrative of premeditated murder.
Death Penalty Decision Next
The penalty phase begins Wednesday morning at 9:30, with the same jury returning to hear additional testimony before recommending either life imprisonment or the death penalty for Adams. The case highlights concerns about relationship violence and the vulnerability of pregnant women, as prosecutors demonstrated how Adams exploited Sims’ trust to carry out the killings. The jury must now weigh whether the circumstances of the murders warrant capital punishment for the convicted rapper.