US RAPPER ASKS JUDGE TO SENTENCE HIM TO DEATH INSTEAD OF LIFE IN PRISONMENT AFTER MURDER CONVICTION
A 28-year-old Florida rapper convicted of murdering his pregnant girlfriend and her unborn child has asked a judge to sentence him to death, saying he does not want his lawyers to present further arguments seeking to spare his life.
Billy Adams, a Tampa-based rapper also known as Ace NH, was found guilty in September of killing 22-year-old Alana Sims and her unborn child in 2023.
According to prosecutors, Adams shot Sims in the back of the head as part of a plan to pursue a relationship with another woman.
The jury recommended life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for Sims’ murder but voted 8–4 in favour of the death penalty for the killing of her unborn child.
In a letter filed with the court, Adams asked the judge to follow the jury’s recommendation and allow him to waive further mitigation arguments, which are intended to present reasons why a defendant should receive a lesser sentence.
“I don’t want my lawyers to present any mitigation or arguments at this hearing, and I am asking this court to sentence me to what the jury voted for,” Adams wrote, according to court reporting by FOX 13 Tampa Bay.
Adams had been acquitted in a separate double-murder case days before he was charged in connection with Sims’ death.
His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 1, when the judge will consider the case before making the final decision. Adams’ request does not automatically mean he will receive the death penalty, as the final sentence rests with the judge.
The case comes as Florida continues to lead the United States in executions. The state carried out its 18th execution of 2026 on October 20, when William Reaves, 77, was put to death for the 1986 murder of a sheriff’s deputy.
Adams’ request raises questions about the reasons behind his decision to give up further efforts to avoid execution, as well as how the court will respond to his request.
-Zambia Reports | October 23, 2026