Three days after a jury found Tampa rapper Billy Bennett Adams III not guilty on a double-murder charge, a woman connected to him was murdered in her driveway.
After changing his story multiple times, Adams now says he committed the murder in self-defense. Will Adams be able to successfully claim self-defense in another murder charge?
Adams Claim Self-Defense & Acquitted on Two Counts of First-Degree Murder
On November 19, 2020, Tampa rapper Billy Bennett Adams III, known as Ace NH, was at a music studio in Lutz, Florida. With him in the small studio was the owner, Joseph Meeks and two other men who were there for a recording session. Two of the men wouldn’t make it out of the studio alive.
Adams admits to killing Trevon Albury and Daniel Thompson. He said he did it in self-defense.
Adams was charged with two counts of first-degree murder. During the trial, he took the stand and calmly explained what he believed happened that night, as reported by the Tampa Bay Times.
Adams said he could hear Albury and Thompson talking to each other about how they were going to rob Meeks. Adams said Albury pulled out a gun and pointed it at the back of Meeks’ head. Adams said he then pulled out his gun and shot Albury once in the back of the head. Thompson reached for Adams’ gun so he fired two shots and killed him.
Adam told a compelling story of self-defense on the stand of his trial — and the jury believed him.
On January 27, 2023, a jury found Adams not guilty. The jury believed Adams killed the two men in self-defense.
Just three days later, another person close to Adams was found dead.
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Adams Lies About Whereabouts on the Night of Another Murder
Alana Sims, a 22-year-old pregnant mother, was found dead lying next to her SUV in her driveway on January 30, 2023. She had been shot in the head. Her toddler was asleep and unharmed in the vehicle next to her.
An unidentified witness said Sims was planning to attend a party the night of her murder. She was invited to celebrate her boyfriend’s recent acquittal on murder charges. The alleged boyfriend was Adams.
In initial questioning, Adams told police he knew Sims but didn’t know she was dead. He claimed he hadn’t seen or spoken to her in weeks. He also said he had been home the night of January 30.
But footage from Sims’ subdivisions proved otherwise.
According to reporting by the Tampa Bay Times, surveillance videos from Sims’ subdivision show a black Chevrolet Malibu, with a license tag registered to Adams’ father, entering the subdivision at 7:22 p.m. on January 30. Footage shows Sims’ vehicle entering the subdivision at 7:36 p.m. and Adams’ vehicle leaving at 8:21 p.m.
Footage from Adams’ gated community shows the same vehicle leaving at 7:10 p.m. and returning at 8:32 p.m. Upon searching the Chevrolet Malibu, police found two live 9mm bullets.
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Adams Changes His Story
After being confronted with the evidence, Adams changed his story.
He said he’d been out with friends the night of Sims’ murder and showed police a video he said he had taken that night.
Later, police would determine that the video had been recorded at a different time and day.
They would also find text messages that show Adams talking to another woman about his disappointment over Sims’ pregnancy. Texts said, “Tomorrow dis s— done” and “I meant wat I said. We finna have OUR life. … And it don’t include ha a–.”
Adams was arrested and charged with first-degree murder charge and with killing an unborn child by injury to the mother.
Adams Changes His Story Again & Claims Self-Defense Again
Once in police custody, Adams changed his story again.
According to reporting by the Tampa Bay Times, Adams again claimed self-defense.
Adams now says he met Sims at her home at which time she pulled a gun on him. He said he wrestled the gun away from her and shot her. He said he then drove home and threw the gun away. Adams also admitted he knew Sims was pregnant and that he may be the father.
There are laws in Florida that protect people who use deadly force when they feel their life is threatened.
Often referred to as Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, Florida Statute 782.02 says, “The use of deadly force is justifiable when a person is resisting any attempt to murder such person or to commit any felony upon him or her or upon or in any dwelling house in which such person shall be.”
If Adams goes to trial, he will again attempt to convince another jury that he committed murder in the act of self-defense.
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TJ Grimaldi joined McIntyre in 2011. McIntyre recruited TJ to create the divisions of personal injury and family law, as well as to expand the existing criminal defense practice at the firm. During TJ’s tenure at McIntyre, he has helped oversee and grow these practice areas. He continues to practice in these divisions while also expanding his own practice areas to include estate planning and immigration law. TJ is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Florida and the United States District Court for the Middle and Southern Districts of Florida.
