Alana Sims.Photo: gofundme
A man who was recently acquitted of double murder is now suspected ofkilling a pregnant Florida momwho was found dead next to her car with her toddler son inside, authorities said.
The 22-year-old woman’s mom said on aGoFundMecampaign that her daughter was five months pregnant when she died.
Sims was discovered with “upper body trauma” on the ground of a residential street outside her Ford EcoSport SUV around 10 p.m. on Jan. 30, police previously said.
Billy Adams III.Tampa Police Department
According to police, Adams, who police said is “known to the victim,” was recently acquitted of double murder in Hillsborough County, Fla.
Now, investigators believe he shot and killed Sims because he no longer wanted to be in her life or have a child, according to10 Tampa Bay.
Surveillance video and other evidence, including two live ammunition rounds in his vehicle, appeared to link Adams to the crime, police toldWFLA.They allege he lured Sims to the residential neighborhood after making Sims believe she was attending a party to celebrate his acquittal.
Police allege that Adams made misleading statements and changed his story several times throughout the investigation, eventually claiming that Sims pulled a gun on him, and that he wrestled it away and shot her, Fox 5 reports.
State Attorney Susan S. Lopez called Adams' alleged actions “unimaginable.”
“Our thoughts and support are with the family members of these crime victims,” Lopez said in a statement. “Since the night of the murders, we have worked closely with TPD to arrest this killer. While we respect the verdict of the jury in the prior case, we disagreed with it and that is why we prosecuted him. We will continue to work with TPD to prosecute him for these latest crimes.”
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It is not immediately clear if Adams has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on his behalf.
“Alana was the best person you could be around. She wasn’t around drama,” her mom, Shahlevi Sims previously told PEOPLE.
“She stayed to herself you know just a real down-to-earth person,” Shahlevi added. “She loved being around her nieces, she loved her son and her family.”
source: people.com
