Billy Adams III also wants to waive additional mitigation before a December hearing that will determine his sentence.
TAMPA, Fla. — Billy Adams III, a Tampa rapper convicted of killing his pregnant girlfriend and her unborn child, has asked the judge overseeing his case to sentence him to death in line with a jury’s recommendation on one of the two murder counts.
Adams, 28, made the request in a letter to Hillsborough Circuit Judge Mark Wolfe that was filed Oct. 12. He also asked that his lawyers not present additional mitigation or arguments intended to persuade the court to spare him from a death sentence. The request adds an unusual turn to a capital case that is approaching its final sentencing stage.
A jury convicted Adams in September in the 2023 killings of 22-year-old Alana Sims and her unborn child. During the penalty phase, jurors reached different recommendations for the two counts. They recommended life in prison without the possibility of parole for Sims’ murder and voted 8-4 to recommend death for the killing of her unborn child.
In his letter, Adams told the court that he did not want his attorneys to present mitigation at the upcoming hearing and asked to receive the punishment recommended by the jury. He also wrote that he had asked his attorneys to respect his wishes regarding the death penalty. The court has not yet ruled on whether he can prevent his defense team from presenting additional mitigating material.
The request does not by itself determine the sentence. Under Florida’s capital sentencing process, a judge must consider the jury’s findings along with aggravating factors and mitigating circumstances before imposing a sentence after a jury recommends death. The court may impose either a death sentence or life imprisonment without parole when the legal requirements for a death sentence have been met.
A hearing is scheduled for Dec. 1. The proceeding is expected to give the court an opportunity to consider any remaining evidence and arguments before Wolfe imposes the final sentence. Even if Adams succeeds in limiting new mitigation from his defense, the judge must still consider mitigating evidence that was already presented during the penalty phase.
The convictions followed a trial over Sims’ death on Jan. 30, 2023. She was found dead near her vehicle in a New Tampa neighborhood. Her 18-month-old child was found asleep inside the vehicle and was not injured. Sims was about five months pregnant at the time of her death.
Prosecutors argued at trial that Adams planned Sims’ killing. Evidence presented in the case established that Adams was not the biological father of the unborn child. Jurors ultimately found him guilty on both counts, moving the case into a separate penalty phase to determine whether he should face life imprisonment or death.
The jury’s split recommendations mean Adams faces different sentencing outcomes on the two convictions. The life recommendation applies to Sims’ murder, while the death recommendation concerns the separate count involving her unborn child. Wolfe will make the final sentencing decision after reviewing the record and the evidence permitted at the December hearing.
The Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office has declined to comment on Adams’ request while the case remains open. The immediate question before the court is whether Adams may waive further mitigation and how that request will affect the final sentencing proceeding scheduled for Dec. 1.
Author note: Last updated October 21, 2026.