HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL. – Convicted of third-degree murder and four other crimes, Terrell Rollins was given the maximum sentence for all five counts and will serve 30 years in prison Friday.
He also pleaded guilty to gun and drug charges, so additional years of prison are expected to be added to his sentence.
The victim’s son, Willie Knighten, spoke in court during the sentencing hearing. “We didn’t all get here today by chance; it came through a series of repeated missteps some intentional, some not. Unfortunately, it also came with a cost of a life. Still, there is time so others will not end up on the same path and facing the same consequences,” Knighten said.
On April 23, 2020, Plant City Police attempted to pull over a silver Hyundai driven by Rollins for illegal window tint. Instead of stopping, Rollins accelerated.
Trying to escape from the police, he sped through several neighborhood streets, running stop signs and driving recklessly. Police ended their pursuit, but Rollins continued to flee.
Over the course of five blocks, Rollins reached the speed of 92.5 miles per hour. At that point, as he traveled south on Maryland Avenue, he ran a stop sign at Warren Street.
He collided with the passenger side of a vehicle being driven by 53-year-old Amanda Renee Holmes-Williams. She was killed instantly. Rollins then fled the crash scene on foot without attempting to help Holmes-Williams or give any of his identifying information to witnesses. He was later found hiding in a yard several blocks away by Plant City Police.
“Renee Holmes-Williams was a loving sister, mother and grandmother. She was a bright light for so many. She was going about her everyday life when this defendant made a series of choices that ultimately caused her death,” said Assistant State Attorney Stephanie Pizarro, who led the prosecution of the case along with Assistant State Attorney Danielle Sears.
“While Renee Holmes-Williams’ light will live on through those she left behind, the pain caused by this defendant‘s actions and the danger he represented to the community were palpable in this case. Thankfully, he will now face the consequences of his actions, and the family will have the opportunity to begin to heal,” Pizarro said.
Rollins Sentencing details
- Leaving the scene of a crash with death – 30 years in Florida State Prison
- Third-degree murder – 15 years
- Vehicular homicide – 15 years
- Driving with license cancelled, suspended, or revoked – 5 years
- Fleeing and attempting to elude a police officer – 5 years
The sentences will be served concurrently, meaning they will all be served at the same time, so Rollins will spend 30 years in prison for these five crimes.
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