Suspect in 5-year-old's murder appears in court, updates from inside the courtroom
UPDATE 3:50 p.m. 12/14/21: The hearing has ended, suspect Jeremy Tremaine Williams has been escorted out of the courtroom.
UPDATE 3:33 p.m. 12/14/21: The hearing is starting.
Sheriff Heath Taylor drew comparisons to the 2002 murder of Russell County 12-year-old Brett Bowyer, who was found dead in a shallow grave off of US 431.
"Of course he was 12 and she was just five, but neither one of them deserved what happened to them," Taylor told News 3.
Williams is being represented by appointed attorney Chuck Floyd of Phenix City.
Williams tells Judge David Johnson he does not want an attorney, despite that Johnson appointed Floyd.
Floyd asks for a gag order saying, "I already know the publicity this case is getting." The judge issued a preliminary gag order, parties are not allowed to make statements to the press. Parties are also not allowed to discuss facts and evidence at this time.
Chief Deputy Assistant District Attorney Rick Chancey says this is a multi-jurisdictional case and he has no control over what other jurisdictions do.
PHENIX CITY, Ala. (WRBL) — Jeremy Tremaine Williams has been charged with Capital Murder in the death of five-year-old Kamarie Holland.
Williams is currently sitting in the courtroom, awaiting a hearing to start in front of Circuit Court Judge David Johnson. It has been scheduled for 3:30.
Coming into the courtroom, Sheriff Heath Taylor told News 3 this has been a difficult day and one of the toughest ones he's worked in a 35-year law enforcement career.
He is under heavy guard from Russell County Sheriff's Deputies and is shackled, wearing a bulletproof vest.
Holland, went missing in Columbus early Monday, Dec. 13 and was found dead in an abandoned Phenix City home later Monday night.