Jeremy Tremaine Williams, 41, was executed in Alabama on August 13 for the rape and murder of five-year-old Kamarie Holland, whose mother sold her to him for £960 for an hour of abuse. He was pronounced dead at 6.16pm local time at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, marking the state's first execution of 2026.
Final moments
The execution chamber drapes were drawn back at 5.53pm, revealing Williams strapped to the gurney with black straps, clad in a tan uniform and covered in a white sheet with an IV line in his left arm. After Warden Terry Raybon read the legal authorisation at 5.56pm, Williams said: "I want to thank God for forgiving me for my sins so I can meet him in peace. Good night."
At 5.58pm, he began moving his head side to side, and by 5.59pm he appeared to be talking or singing to himself, wearing a smile. At 6.00pm, a slight convulsion shook his frame, and his eyes shut permanently. Prison officials performed two consciousness checks, receiving no response as his breathing slowed and he stopped breathing.
Among his three personal witnesses was a woman in a blue T-shirt reading "Mama loves you," who sobbed throughout. In his final 24 hours, Williams was visited by eight relatives, including his wife and parents, and enjoyed a lunch of Philly cheesesteak, cheddar cheese chips, M&Ms, and Dr. Pepper, before requesting cheese pizza for his last meal.
The crime
Kamarie was reported missing by her grandmother on December 13, 2021, in Columbus, Georgia. Hours later, her body was found hidden under a tarp in the basement of a vacant duplex in Phenix City. Williams had forced the child to smoke meth and watch pornography before beating, sexually abusing, strangling her to death, and abusing her corpse. He filmed the attack on his mobile phone, later describing his actions as "very rageful and sexually driven".
In April 2024, a jury convicted Williams of sodomy, child sexual abuse, human trafficking, conspiracy, producing obscene material, and abuse of a corpse. In 2025, he waived all appeals and demanded an expedited execution. Kamarie's mother, Kelly Siple, is serving a 20-year prison sentence after confessing to the human sex trafficking of her daughter.
Reactions
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said: "There are few words to adequately describe the depth and depravity of Jeremy Williams' evil act. The unspeakable nature of this crime is exactly why we have the death penalty statute in the state of Alabama. Kamarie Holland is an innocent girl who is no longer with us, but she finally received justice tonight. May God bless little Kamarie Holland."
Russell County District Attorney Rick Chancey wiped away tears, saying: "Kamarie didn't have a chance for that statement. Kamarie’s last seconds were horrific. That baby didn’t die in peace. She didn’t get to close her eyes and say, ‘I can meet my maker in peace tonight.’ That baby was brutally killed. I’m glad he got peace, because that baby didn’t. That [peace] is what I want for that little girl."
Sheriff Heath Taylor called the case the worst in his 39-year career, noting that investigators face trauma from what they saw, as Williams videoed the whole attack. Russell County Assistant District Attorney Malory Hatfield said: "Too many of our children victims go without justice, because adults aren't willing to listen to what children have to say. They don't think they're telling the truth. This is just one we happened to catch on video. I'm glad we got some justice for her and her family."
