WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A suspect in the fatal stabbing of a Palm Beach Gardens teenager won't be prosecuted for his involvement in a jail scuffle with corrections deputies.
Assistant State Attorney Judith Arco submitted a notice in court last week that the state will not formally charge Semmie Williams Jr. with corruption by threat against a public official.
"Although there was probable cause to make an arrest, the evidence cannot prove all legally required elements of the crime alleged and is insufficient to support a criminal prosecution," Arco wrote.
Williams, 39, is accused of stabbing Ryan Rogers to death during what police described as a "random" encounter with the 14-year-old boy who was riding his bicycle. He has been charged with first-degree murder.
The former charge stemmed from a December incident while Williams was being fingerprinted on the intake floor of the main Palm Beach County jail.
According to a probable cause affidavit by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, a corrections deputy asked Williams if he was aware of the charges he faced.
"Yes, murder, and that's what they get for giving Black people syphilis," Williams answered, according to the deputy.
The deputy also claimed that Williams then raised his voice and said, "Yeah, I killed that mother (expletive) and I'll kill you too. Are you the mother (expletive) judge?"
Williams, who later denied making the comments, is accused of tensing up and walking away from the deputy, who then took Williams face-down to the floor during a tussle.
"I was going to beat your ass if they didn't help," Williams told the deputy, the affidavit said.
Meanwhile, the next hearing for Williams in his murder case is scheduled for March 3. Williams faces the death penalty if convicted.
