Illegal migrant accused of murdering, raping grandmother pleads not guilty

An illegal migrant released into the United States by the Biden administration pleaded not guilty Monday to the brutal murder of a Georgia grandmother.

David Hector Rivas-Sagastume, a 21-year-old Honduran national who unlawfully entered the country several years ago, pleaded not guilty to killing Camillia Williams, a 52-year-old grandmother and mother of five, according to Cobb County Superior Court documents obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. Rivas is accused of murder, rape, necrophilia and other gruesome charges involving the incident.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) previously confirmed that the Biden White House allowed Rivas to enter the U.S. in the early months of their administration.

“David Hector Rivas-Sagastume, a 21-year-old Honduran national, entered the United States illegally on March 17, 2021, and was arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol,” a DHS spokesperson told the DCNF in March. “He was issued a notice to appear and paroled into the country by the previous administration.”

“A judge ordered him removed on July 11, 2023,” the spokesperson continued. “On March 18, 2025, he was being arrested by the Cobb County Police Department for capital murder and other crimes. ICE has lodged an immigration detainer with the Cobb County Jail.”

The investigation into Williams’ death began on March 13 when her body was found in the bushes off Pat Mell Road, a suburban area north of Atlanta, according to a press release by the Cobb County Police Department at the time. Several days later, police identified and arrested Rivas.

The Honduran national allegedly placed Williams into a chokehold, rendering her unconscious, and then allegedly placed both of his knees and full body weight on her neck, leading to her death. Williams’ family told local media that, before her murder, she had expressed concern about a man following her around.

“She called the dude a weirdo and, from my understanding, he pretty much waited until he caught her by herself and did what he done,” Arsene Williams, her brother, said to Channel 2 Action News.

Federal immigration authorities are aiming to eventually take custody of Rivas, with an arrest report obtained by the DCNF confirming that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer was placed on him on the day he was taken into custody by police. The report listed him as unemployed and living in the Jacksonville, Florida, area at the time of his arrest by local authorities.

The gruesome murder marks one of the latest high-profile crimes allegedly committed by illegal migrants, bringing the debate of illegal immigration further into the national spotlight.

“David Hector Rivas-Sagastume, an illegal alien released by the Biden administration, has been charged with killing Camilia Williams, a mother of five and a grandmother in a gruesome attack,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in March. “This illegal alien should have never been in our country in the first place. President Trump and I are putting the safety of Americans FIRST.”

In his own statement, Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp said the Trump administration has his “full support and cooperation” as it works to remove criminals from our communities.

Rivas’ not guilty plea comes only days after Felix Jeronimo-Rojas, another illegal migrant, was also charged with necrophilia concerning his alleged actions with a corpse on a New York City metro train. Jose Ibarra, an illegal migrant from Venezuela, was handed a life sentence for the killing of Laken Riley, a Georgia nursing student brutally murdered while on a trail run in February 2024.

Rivas is accused of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, rape, aggravated sexual battery and necrophilia, according to additional court documents obtained by the DCNF. He remains in the Cobb County Jail without bond.

Latest posts by Jason Hopkins (see all)

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.