Overview
- Prosecutors say Ryan Rogers, 14, was fatally stabbed during a chance encounter on Central Boulevard on Nov. 15, 2021, after leaving for an evening bike ride.
- Investigators reported finding bloody headphones with Semmie Williams’ DNA near the body and later seized a bloodstained bandana from his bag after arresting him in Miami 15 days later.
- Florida’s legal insanity standard requires proof a defendant could not distinguish right from wrong, a threshold former State Attorney Dave Aronberg notes is rarely met.
- Williams has a documented history of mental health issues, including two years in a Georgia psychiatric facility following a 2016 attack and online postings reflecting paranoia.
- Court filings indicate the trial could run for several weeks, and the community’s ‘Lights for Ryan’ street‑lighting effort at the site of the attack remains unfinished.