Billy Adams III, a 28-year-old Tampa-based rapper professionally known as Ace NH, has submitted a handwritten letter to a Florida court requesting capital punishment.
This request follows his conviction in connection with the tragic January 2023 deaths of his pregnant girlfriend, Alana Sims, and her unborn baby. The letter, officially filed on October 12, 2026, comes after a jury determined that life imprisonment was appropriate for Sims’ death, yet voted 8–4 to recommend the death penalty specifically for the loss of her unborn child.
Billy Adams III killed Alana Sim in 2023
Billy Adams III fatally shot Alana Sims, 22, in 2023 — just days after she had planned to celebrate his acquittal in a separate double-murder case, reported WTSP-TV. He took her life because he felt unprepared to become a father to her unborn child. However, it was later discovered the child was not biologically his.
According to FOX 13 Tampa Bay, Adams made a specific request to skip any further mitigation arguments during his December 1 sentencing hearing. “I don’t want my lawyers to present any mitigation or arguments at this hearing, and I am asking this court to sentence me to what the jury voted for,” he wrote.
Billy Adams III urges lawyers to respect his decision
He went on to explain that his legal team had discussed mitigation options and what it would mean to waive them, and he expressed that he was comfortable with a death penalty sentence. The rapper also requested that his attorneys honor his decision when they took part in the court proceedings.
Criminal defense attorney Anthony Rickman, who has no connection to this particular case, shared his thoughts with FOX 13 about how someone facing a lifetime in prison might see execution differently. “You’re not getting old and gray behind bars,” Rickman explained, offering insight into what might drive such a choice. He was careful to note that he wasn’t speaking to Adams’ specific reasons for his decision.