Because of her testimony and a binding plea agreement, [Delilah] Williams will be sentenced to 20 years in prison, including nine years already served, in federal court in Honolulu on Tuesday, a prosecutor and her defense attorney said.
And her acknowledged role in the abuse helped keep her husband Naeem Williams from receiving the death penalty after he was convicted of murder. He is scheduled to be sentenced in October. . . .
Federal public defender Alexander Silvert, who represents Delilah Williams, had expected her guilty plea to a murder charge to have a major impact on the jury hearing the case against her husband. During the penalty phase of his trial, eight jurors wanted him executed; four sought life in prison. . . .
Jurors said they considered many different factors in reaching their individual decisions.
In the end, jurors agreed the decision before them involved Naeem Williams, not his wife, Mata said. "The bottom line came down to she didn't do the last blow," he said.
Prosecutors say Naeem Williams delivered a deadly punch on July 16, 2005, that left knuckle imprints on Talia's chest. He testified that he beat her that day in part because she spit toothpaste all over the sink.
"I went for death," Mata said, noting that he had considered testimony about childhood abuse of the defendant. "Though it was a hard decision because I understand his past of him being abused and him having a psycho wife ... had that influence."
Fellow juror Betty Jane Auten said she considered the influence of Delilah Williams on her husband, "but Naeem could have stopped Delilah at any time from hurting his child."
Some jurors said her plea deal was unfair. . . .
When jurors were finally able to discuss the case with each other, they unloaded their feelings about the horrible things done to the child.
"People were crying, screaming, just getting out all the emotion that we had to keep in for so long," Mata said.
When Delilah Williams, 30, completes the remainder of her sentence, she'll be about 40.
"Given her conduct (at the Honolulu Federal Detention Center), she's probably not going to get a lot of good behavior credit," Silvert said.