Brothers Charged in 2006 Murder of Teen
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SFSC Holds WES Honors Commencement Young Runners See Page B8 See Page B1 WAUCHULA BOWLING GREEN ZOLFO SPRINGS ONA FORT MEADE SERVING THE PEACE RIVER VALLEY 121st Year • No. 5 • 2 Sections www.TheHeraldAdvocate.com 93¢ Thursday, December 24, 2020 Plus 7¢ Sales Tax Vaccine Amber Woods Murder Ralph Williams, 35, and Tyjuan Williams, 32, were both charged with second Not In degree murder for the 2006 killing of 16-year old Amber Woods. Jamaine Brown, 37, and half- Hardee brother to Ralph and Tyjuan Williams, pled By TOM STAIK guilty to accessory after Of The Herald-Advocate the fact to murder last AdventHealth Wauchula is week and is awaiting sen- slated to begin receiving doses tencing. of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine though there is no Ralph Williams Tyjuan Williams Jamaine Brown timetable on when doses will begin to arrive in Hardee County. The hospital was one of 173 hospitals that did not receive the first allocation of the Pfizer Brothers Charged COVID-19 vaccine that was released – mainly to metropol- itan communities – across the state earlier this month. The Moderna vaccine, that does not require sub-zero stor- In 2006 Murder Of Teen age, will be released under a statewide distribution plan an- By MICHAEL KELLY nounced by Governor Ron De- Of The Herald-Advocate Santis last week. Nearly 15 years after Hardee County had not re- Hardee County teenager ceived any dosages of either Amber Woods was murdered, vaccine as of Tuesday after- the Manatee County Sheriff’s noon, according to Amalia Office (MCSO) has charged Arista, director of Hardee two Wauchula brothers with County Emergency Manage- her killing. ment. Ralph Williams, 35, and “When we do get it we will Tyjuan Williams, 32, were be ready for it,” Arista said. both charged with second de- According to a statement gree murder and half-brother from the governor’s office, the Jamaine Brown pled guilty to Sunshine State is expected to accessory after the fact to mur- receive 367,000 doses of the der last Friday. Moderna vaccine beginning During a recorded interview this week. with MCSO detectives, Brown The distribution follows an admitted the trio kidnapped emergency order by the Food Woods and drove to a rural lo- and Drug Administration cation on State Road 62 where (FDA) on Dec. 18 that allows they got out of the car and for the emergency use of the Tyjuan Williams shot Amber drug for persons 18 years of once in the back, killing her. age and older. Brown and Ralph Williams “Doses of the Moderna vac- COURTESY PHOTO then dragged her body off the cine will be distributed to 173 This photo of Amber Woods was taken shortly before roadway into high grass and hospital locations that did not the 16-year old was murdered in 2006. Family mem- fled the area, according to the receive doses in the first allo- bers described her as a kind-hearted person that was interview. cation of the Pfizer COVID-19 so full of life. Sheriff Rick Wells said vaccine. These hospital loca- Monday morning the Williams COURTESY PHOTO Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells speaks during a tions span 43 counties,” ac- brothers were suspects in the news conference Monday morning to announce the ar- cording to the statement from case from the very beginning rest of Ralph Williams and Tyjuan Williams for the 2006 the governor’s officer. but detectives did not have murder of 16-year old Amber Woods. After reexamining In addition to AdventHealth enough evidence to make an the case in 2019, detectives used new technology to Wauchula, the hospital chain’s arrest until the Manatee Homi- track the cellphones of the brothers and Woods to facilities in neighboring High- cide Investigation Unit began prove they were in the locations when she was kid- lands County at Sebring and reexamining the case in April napped and later murdered. Wells said the two were Lake Placid are also scheduled 2019. suspects in the case from the very beginning but de- See VACCINE A2 Crime Analyst Elicia Main tective did not have enough evidence to arrest them See MURDER A2 until this year. WEATHER DATE HIGH LOW RAIN 12/15 73 65 0.03 12/16 79 57 0.09 12/17 68 49 0.00 Crime Spree Earns 18-year Sentence 12/18 63 43 0.00 12/19 73 44 0.00 By TOM STAIK will serve 15 years day-for-day 12/20 76 50 0.01 law enforcement officer, resist- erty $100 or more, and two Of The Herald-Advocate 12/21 71 49 0.06 before any gain time starts to ing an officer with violence, counts of fleeing or attempting Rainfall to 12/21/2020 - 45.41 A Wauchula man has been accrue. possession of methampheta- to elude. He also pled no con- Same period last year - 41.53 sentenced to 18 years in state Ramos was facing two mine, and possession of drug test to charges of driving while Ten Year Average - 49.45 prison in connection to a 2017 counts of burglary of a paraphernalia from the Polk driver’s license suspended/re- Source: Univ. of Fla. Ona Research Center crime spree that spanned two dwelling, two counts of grand County Sheriff’s Office voked/canceled, possession of counties. theft dwelling property $100 (PCSO). a firearm by a convicted felon, INDEX Simon Ramos, 34, was sen- or more, and charges of driv- According to arrest reports, tampering with physical evi- Classifieds . .A11 tenced Dec. 15 by Circuit ing while driver’s license sus- Ramos fled from officers from dence, resisting an officer with Judge Michael Raiden after ac- pended/revoked/canceled, and Courthouse Report . .A9 the WPD into Polk County. violence, and the lesser charge cepting a plea deal for 18 years fleeing or attempting to elude Polk deputies then joined the of aggravated assault of a law Crime Blotter . .A8 in the state prison in connec- from the Wauchula Police De- chase. After his vehicle was hit enforcement officer. Entertainment . B4 tion to a slew of Hardee and partment. by stop sticks twice, Polk In exchange for the plea, As- Fort Meade Times . .B10 Polk county cases. He was also facing charges deputies then blocked the path sistant State Attorney Hannah Ramos Hardee Living . .B5 Judge Raiden sentenced of possession a firearm by a of the vehicle with a cruiser. Potter agreed to drop the two Ramos as a habitual felony of- convicted felon, fleeing or at- HCSO, $1,377.82 in investiga- Information Roundup . .A4 Ramos struck a squad car on counts of possession of fender and ordered that 15 tempting to elude, tampering State Road 60 and came to rest methamphetamine and two tive costs to the PCSO, and Obituaries . .A7 years of the 18-year stint be with physical evidence, pos- in the median. The squad car counts of possession of drug $1,154.30 in restitution to the Puzzles . .B9 served as a prison release reof- session of methamphetamine, was heavily damaged. The paraphernalia. PCSO. fender. and possession of drug para- deputy was uninjured. Ramos was handed $1,560 Wauchula Chief of Police Being designated as a prison phernalia from the Hardee Under the terms of the plea in fines, $400 in fees, $300 in John Eason said the case is a release reoffender disqualifies County Sheriff’s Office agreement, Ramos pled no investigative costs to the prime example of law enforce- Ramos from receiving any (HCSO). contest to two counts of bur- WPD, $150 in restitution to the ment’s see something, say gain time off his sentence. In Ramos was also charged glary of a dwelling, two counts victim of the burglary, $150 in something mantra. this case, that means Ramos with aggravated battery on a of grand theft dwelling prop- investigative costs to the See SENTENCE A2 A2 The Herald-Advocate, December 24, 2020 THE MURDER Herald-Advocate Continued From A1 HARDEE COUNTY’S HOMETOWN COVERAGE utilized sophisticated new cel- Ralph Williams became con- half-brothers for her murder. ber 18 and is awaiting sentenc- MICHAEL R. KELLY lular tracking software to fol- cerned he could end up in “It feels good to know that ing. Co-Publisher and Editor low the towers and travel of prison for having a sexual re- those responsible for this mur- Sheriff Wells said many law Ralph, Tyjuan, Jamaine and lationship with the minor. der should spend the rest of enforcement agencies worked JAMES R. KELLY Amber through the early Detectives discovered a text their life in prison,” Sheriff together to finally solve the Co-Publisher morning hours of February 11, message from Ralph Williams Wells said. “It won’t take the case. NOEY DeSANTIAGO 2006. to Woods stating he could face pain of the family away but at He thanked FBI Special Production Manager “Research confirmed a criminal charges due to her least you know these people Agent Chuck Sloan, the TOM STAIK phone used by Ralph Williams being underage. aren’t walking around enjoy- Wauchula Police Department Managing Editor DARLENE WILLIAMS on the night of the murder was “Detectives learned that ing life.” and Det. Chris Leconte, the Assistant in the vicinity of where Ralph Williams wanted to end He said Ralph Williams and Hardee County Sheriff’s Of- Production Manager Amber’s body was found,” the relationship and conspired Tyjuan Williams could have fice, Hardee County Probation 115 S. Seventh Ave. P.O. Box 338 Sheriff Wells said. with his brothers to kidnap her, their charges elevated to Capi- and Parole, the State Attor- Wauchula, FL 33873 He said the three suspects take her to a remote area, and tal Murder, which would bring ney’s Office, the U.S.