On the evening of January 30, 2023, Alana Devone Sims, a 22-year-old African American woman from Tampa, Florida, was found deceased in the Easton Park subdivision of New Tampa. Her body was discovered lying on the ground near her Ford EcoSport SUV, with her 18-month-old son asleep in his car seat inside the vehicle. Alana, who was five months pregnant at the time, had suffered fatal gunshot wounds to the head. A passerby noticed her body around 10:00 p.m. and alerted the authorities.
The child was unharmed and is now in the care of family members.
Investigators quickly identified 25-year-old Billy Bennett Adams III, a local rapper known as "Ace NH," as the primary suspect. Adams had been acquitted just three days earlier, on January 27, 2023, of double murder charges related to a 2020 recording studio shooting. According to police, Alana believed she was attending a party to celebrate Adams' acquittal. Instead, Adams allegedly lured her to the location and shot her, reportedly because he did not want to be involved in her life or raise a child. He was arrested on February 8, 2023, and charged with first-degree murder and killing of an unborn child by injury to the mother.
During the investigation, Adams provided conflicting statements. Initially, he denied being in contact with Alana or being present at the crime scene. However, surveillance footage and other evidence placed him in the area at the time of the murder. He later claimed that Alana had pulled a gun on him and that he shot her in self-defense. Authorities found this account inconsistent with the evidence, including text messages suggesting premeditation. In one message sent the day before the murder, Adams wrote, "tomorrow this s— done," indicating a possible motive linked to the pregnancy.
Prosecutors have announced their intention to seek the death penalty against Adams, citing the "cold, calculated, and premeditated" nature of the crime. Alana's family, including her mother Shahlevi Sims, described her as a loving and devoted mother who cherished her son and was excited about her pregnancy. The community continues to mourn the loss of Alana Devone Sims, a young African American woman whose life was tragically cut short.
