Honduran national pleads not guilty to murdering Cobb County grandmother
Hector David Sagastume Rivas pleaded not guilty to murder, necrophilia, and more. (Cobb County Sheriff's Office)
COBB COUNTY, Ga. - A Honduran national who ICE says was in the United States illegally has pleaded not guilty to murdering a Cobb County grandmother.
On Monday, 21-year-old Hector David Sagastume Rivas made his plea and waived his scheduled court appearance.
The backstory:
Officials say the investigation began on March 14, after the body of 52-year-old Camillia Williams was found in the bushes of a yard on the 200 block of Pat Mell Road.
Days after marking Williams' death as suspicious, Cobb County police announced that they had charged Rivas with the grandmother's killing.
According to an arrest warrant obtained by FOX 5, Rivas physically assaulted Williams, placing her in a chokehold and causing her to lose consciousness. Once she was unconscious, the man allegedly told police he put both knees and his full body weight on her neck, leading to her death.
Camillia Williams' body was found in some bushes in a yard on the 200 block of Pat Mell Road near South Cobb Drive.
Rivas was arrested on March 18, and charged with malice murder, aggravated assault, rape, aggravated sexual battery, and necrophilia.
He has been in custody in the Cobb County Jail without bond since his arrest.
Dig deeper:
Speaking to FOX News days after his arrest, the Department of Homeland Security said that Rivas had entered the United States illegally on March 17, 2021, and had been arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol.
ICE: Man charged with woman's death in the US illegally
We now know the person accused of killing a mother and grandmother in a random attack in Cobb County is an illegal immigrant. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says they caught the suspect at the southern border four years ago but was released while he waited for a hearing.
"He was issued a notice to appear and paroled into the country by the previous administration," the agency said in a statement. "A judge ordered him removed on July 11, 2023."
ICE said that it has lodged an immigration detainer with the Cobb County Jail.
Gov. Brian Kemp responded to the ICE interview by saying that the Trump administration "will have my administration's full support and cooperation as they continue to remove dangerous criminals from our communities."
What they're saying:
Speaking to FOX 5, family members said that they believed Camillia Williams would still be alive if Rivas had been not allowed into the country or deported.
"He was kind of stalking her, waiting for her to be by herself, then he strangled her," Camillia's brother, Arsene Williams, said.
While they live in Louisiana, they plan to come to Georgia to follow every moment of the trial.
"My sister took her last breath in Georgia, so he needs to take his last breath in Georgia," Tony Williams said.
What's next:
With Rivas' not-guilty plea, the next court hearing will be on the afternoon of June 18.
His trial is expected to begin on the morning of June 23.
The Source: Information for this story was taken from court updates by FOX News. Additional information came from previous FOX 5 reports.