Page 13 - Florida Sentinel 6-5-18

Local
Trial Of Murder Suspect In Death Of 9-Year-Old Delayed
Event Planner To Offer Prom For Middleton Alumni
FELECIA WILLIAMS 12/9/2004 —- 5/16/2014
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
The family of a little girl murdered 4 years ago were expecting the case to go to trial on September 10th. However, they recently learned that it has been de- layed until next summer.
Ms. Felecia Demer- son, mother of Felecia Williams, said, “I was ex- pecting the trial to begin on September 10th. Then, I re- ceived a call stating that it had been postponed.
“I was told that his (Granville Ritchie) at- torneys were planning to visit his hometown in Ja- maica and his (Ritchie) fa- ther was murdered. So, they had to delay their visit.”
Ritchie is charged with the rape and murder of 9- year-old Felecia Williams.
Ms. Demerson al- lowed her daughter to ac- company Ms. Eboni Wiley, a family friend on May 16, 2014. Several hours later, Ms. Wiley told a family member the child disappeared.
The following day, a body was discovered around 3:20 p.m., in the water near Clearwater. The Pinellas County Medical Examiner confirmed that it was the body of Felecia Williams.
Temple Terrace Police arrested Ms. Wiley the same day the child’s body
GRANVILLE RITCHIE ...Suspect in death of 9-year-old
was discovered. She was later released on bond.
Initially, Ms. Wiley told police Felecia disap- peared while she was tak- ing a shower. During a second interview, Ms. Wiley told police she had left Felecia with then 35- year-old Granville Ashanti Ritchie for about 35 minutes.
Ms. Wiley also told po- lice that Ritchie called her and allegedly said he had given the child some money to buy candy from a CVS. Ms. Wiley reportedly drove to the store, but re- turned to the apartment upon Ritchie’s request.
She told police they con- sumed alcohol, they had sex, and Ritchie took her home. Several hours passed before a family member of the child was contacted. The child’s family then no- tified police and filed a missing person’s report.
On May 21st, St. Peters- burg Police arrested Ritchie on unrelated charges. He was later trans- ferred to the Hillsborough County Jail on one count of having sex with a (a differ- ent) minor.
Ritchie was also identi- fied as a suspect in Felecia Williams’ murder.
He was charged with her murder on August 15, 2014. He has been held at the Hillsborough County Jail since his arrest on May 22, 2014. He continues to be held without bond.
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Mrs. Cecelia Garvin
is younger than her hus- band. So, she didn’t expe- rience the desegregation of schools as he did.
But, her husband, Joseph, always talks about being denied his op- portunity to attend his Prom while a student at Middleton High School. The school was closed in June 1971. Garvin was transferred to Leto, where he graduated. However, he would have no part of their prom.
“I didn’t experience what he and others did. But, all I’ve ever heard about was he didn’t get a chance to go to his prom at Middleton. I’m an event planner and I have de- cided to give him and his classmates an opportunity to attend their prom,” she
MR. AND MRS. JOSEPH (CECELIA) GARVIN
said.
The event will take
place on Friday, June 29th, at the Tampa Heights Jun- ior Civic Association (for- merly old Faith Temple Church), 2005 N. Lamar Avenue. Those in atten- dance will listen to Ran- dall C playing music from that era.
They will have a chance to dress in their tuxedos and evening gowns and re- flect on something they didn’t get a chance to do.
With integration, the stu- dents were divided and as- signed to different high schools throughout the county.
The event is earmarked for graduates from 1972 and 1973, however, it is open to any of the Middle- ton and Blake graduates or anyone in the commu- nity who would like to at- tend. It will begin at 6 p.m. However, the deadline to reserve space is June 25th, for planning purposes.
“I’m going to try and make things as authentic as possible. This is an op- portunity for all of them to get together,” she said.
Garvin said, “We par- ticipated in the things we had to do because that is what we had to do. I didn’t want to go to their prom.”
Refreshments will be served. For additional in- formation, contact Mrs. Garvin at (813) 377-5715.
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