Homeless Drifter Gets 35 Years for Random Stabbing Death of Florida Teen

The Sentence

Semmie Lee Williams Jr., 43, was sentenced Wednesday to 35 years in state prison for the 2021 stabbing death of Ryan Rogers, a 14-year-old Palm Beach Gardens boy who was killed while riding his bicycle near his home. Circuit Judge Cymonie Rowe handed down the sentence at the end of a one-hour hearing at Palm Beach County Courthouse, citing Williams’ documented history of violent acts alongside his history of mental illness and intellectual disability. Williams will receive credit for time already served.

Prosecutors had asked the court for a life sentence, arguing that Williams was a permanent danger to the public and should never be released. The defense requested approximately 21 years, pointing to his mental health history as a significant mitigating factor. The judge’s 35-year sentence fell between the two positions. In her remarks, Rowe called the teenager’s death a devastating tragedy.

The Attack and the Investigation

Ryan Rogers was last seen on the evening of November 14, 2021, while riding his bike near his home in a quiet neighborhood off Central Boulevard. His family reported him missing that night. His bicycle was found in a wooded area near the road the following morning; his body was discovered nearby. An autopsy determined he had been stabbed multiple times in the head and neck. Investigators ultimately identified Williams, a homeless man with no known ties to Palm Beach County, as the suspect after a lengthy investigation. It remained unclear at trial what brought Williams to the Palm Beach Gardens area or what prompted the attack.

Williams was convicted of second-degree murder in January 2026 after a jury trial. He has maintained throughout the proceedings that he did not kill Ryan Rogers and was set up by law enforcement. He repeated that claim at Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, addressing the court in a rambling statement before being led out. As he was removed from the courtroom, he also alleged he was being assaulted in the county jail. Ryan’s father, Brian Rogers, who had chosen not to speak during the hearing, responded directly to Williams as he was escorted out.

Voices from the Courtroom

Ryan’s friends were given the opportunity to address the court Wednesday, and several spoke about the impact his death had on their lives. Sienna Wise, a close friend, described the loss as permanent and specific - the absence of a person who would have been part of her life’s milestones. “I lost one of my closest friends,” she said, promising Ryan’s family she would remember him no matter how much time passed.

Prosecutors presented testimony from Dennis Brincks, 77, of Georgia, who appeared by remote video. Brincks described being attacked by Williams in the Atlanta area in 2013 - beaten and choked in what he described as a random, unprovoked assault. Officers told him at the time that he was fortunate to have survived. That prior attack was part of the aggravating evidence prosecutors offered in support of the life sentence request. Palm Beach County State Attorney Alexcia Cox released a statement after sentencing acknowledging that no prison term could restore what the Rogers family had lost.

Legal Status Going Forward

Williams has filed for appeal and qualified for a public defender to represent him in that process, according to CBS12. A Palm Beach County judge ruled that Williams lacks the financial resources to retain private counsel, meaning the Public Defender’s Office for Florida’s Fifteenth Judicial Circuit will handle his appeal of the conviction and sentence. Williams was convicted of second-degree murder; the case remains closed at the trial level pending the outcome of the appeal process.

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