Nearly six years after two women were found brutally slashed to death inside a luxury condominium in Miami’s Edgewater neighborhood, the suspect testified in his own trial and released a statement claiming he acted in self-defense. He confessed to the crime in court.
Franklin Delanoy Williams, 51, stabbed his girlfriend Sophia Simpson, 35, and her cousin Gabrella Griffiths, 27, during an argument on May 7, 2019. He has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder.
Miami-Dade Correction
“I told her, ‘I’m leaving you,’ and she got furious. She slapped me and said, ‘You’re not leaving me,'” Williams said in Thursday’s testimony. He spoke while explaining what he is said to have said before the fight.
While trying to convince jurors of his version of events, Mr. Williams learned that his girlfriend had married another man in hopes of dealing with her immigration status issue, ending their 10-year relationship. He went on to say that he felt uneasy. Ms Williams said she felt their trust had been violated and she had been deceived.
According to how Williams described the altercation, Simpson grabbed a knife and stabbed him first.
“She grabbed the knife and I was sitting on the bed,” he said. “She came and stabbed me. I put my hand up and she got a cut.”
During the struggle, Williams took control of the knife. Around the same time, Griffiths apparently surprised him from behind and placed him in a chokehold.
Williams claimed self-defense and said he began stabbing both women from the front and back.
“I couldn’t breathe,” Williams said. “I felt like my neck was going to break.”
However, prosecutors believe this was not a case of self-defense.
Ms Simpson was found with more than 50 wounds and her cousin was found with 10 wounds.
During Williams’ cross-examination, prosecutors emphasized that Williams did not call the police or an ambulance.
“Why didn’t you call the police when they weren’t breathing?” the lawyer said.
“No, I was panicking,” Williams said.
“Didn’t you call an ambulance?” said the lawyer.
“No,” Williams said.
“Didn’t you ask anyone for help?” said the lawyer.
“No,” Williams said.
After a failed suicide attempt, Williams went to his mother’s home in Fort Lauderdale and turned himself in to police five days after the stabbing.
Jurors could begin deliberating Friday on whether the death was an act of self-defense or constitutes second-degree murder.
