Orangeburg County Criminal Sentenced to Life in Prison
By Thursday, the Orangeburg County Criminal Defendant Sentenced.
On Monday, October 8th, the jury was finalized in the Moncks Corner Courthouse, for the trial against Roger Williams. The Orangeburg County Criminal Defense trial continues through the second week of October.
Williams was accused and convicted of homicide by child abuse. In 2010, his 2-year-old son, Rodricus, fell ill, but Williams told his girlfriend, Grace Trotman, not to call a doctor. According to autopsy reports, the child died from a blow to the head, and Grace Trotman pleaded guilty last year to her part in the crime, which included dumping the child’s body into a dumpster and lying to authorities about when her child went missing.
The couple initially told authorities in July 2010 that Rodricus had fallen into the water off Charleston’s Battery, and possibly drowned. The police ordered a massive search for the child, whom they later discovered was never actually in the water. Shortly after, the couple was arrested.
In 2011, Trotman admitted to the FBI that she made up the missing child story to cover up Rodriguez’s death.
After the child died, authorities were directed to a mobile home in Orangeburg County, where they found the child’s body in a dumpster, filled with 450 lbs of cement.
Orangeburg County Criminal Defense Charges of Child Endangerment, Domestic Abuse, or Homicide are serious
Williams admitted that he did not seek medical treatment for his son, even though the child had an ongoing condition that needed to be monitored. Grace Trotman testified on Tuesday, October 9th, and told the jury that Williams repeatedly emotionally and physically abused his son. She said she had seen him beat Rodricus numerous times “with closed fists.” She also confessed that she hit the boy in his arm, which caused him to hit his head against the wall – which probably caused the head wound that showed up in autopsy reports – and the blow caused Rodricus to have a seizure.
After the child’s seizure, Williams would not allow Trotman to call 911.
She further testified that Williams got a trash can, filled it with cement and water, and put the child’s body into the mixture head-first. They then used a rental truck to take the trash can into Orangeburg County and dump it near an abandoned home just outside of Bowman.
On Wednesday morning, the jury heard a taped phone call between Williams and his ex-girlfriend’s sister, Ramona Smith. In the call, Williams admitted that he beat Rodricus in the chest several times, to the point that the boy’s chest was bruised. He also admitted in the call that, when he found his son unresponsive, he got scared and tried to perform CPR on the child.
During the trial, security video was shown of Williams buying cement and a trash can from a local hardware store.
Orangeburg County Criminal Defense
Criminal charges in South Carolina are very serious. If you need help with South Carolina or Orangeburg County Criminal Defense, the attorneys at the Strom Law Firm can help.
The Strom Law Firm is licensed to practice throughout the State of South Carolina, including Orangeburg County. The firm’s criminal defense attorneys have over 30 years of experience with the South Carolina Criminal Justice system. We frequently visit the Orangeburg-Calhoun Regional Detention Center, and we offer free, confidential consultations to discuss the facts of your case. Contact us today with questions. 803.252.4800.
