The case of

William Carter Jr.

Victim

William Carter Jr.

Victim Race

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Victim Date of Birth

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Victim Age
Date Reported

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Date of Death

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Case Status

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Incident Location

DeKalb County, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Body Location

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Date of Conviction

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Body Discovered Date

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Murderer

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Who were William Carter Jr. and Victoria Rickman

William Carter Jr. was a young divorced father of one child. His parents claim that he was a quiet man dedicated to caring for his daughter. Until the day of his death he worked as a businessman.

William Carter and Victoria Rickman met a few years after she was divorced, had friends in common who introduced them and shortly thereafter began a relationship.

Both William and Victoria showed their friends and family signs of a stormy relationship of constant fighting and arguing. William Carter Sr, William’s father, alleged after the murder that he often saw his son stressed by their relationship.

On September 13, 2013, the relationship reached its peak of toxicity when after a fierce argument, Victoria Rickman shot William, causing his death.

Victoria Rickman’s 911 call made the police aware of what had happened, while telling them that she had done it in self-defense.

A Tumultuous Relationship

William Carter Jr. and Victoria Rickman’s relationship was complicated from the beginning. Even when they had a few years together, the relationship did not seem to improve, as friends and family members witnessed them constantly breaking up and reconciling again.

According to the statements of one of Victoria’s friends, she had seen marks of beatings and physical abuse on her on several occasions. By this time, everything seemed to indicate that Victoria was just one of many women who were victims of abuse.

For some reason, Victoria never ended her relationship with William, on the contrary, despite the arguments, they always got back together.

On September 13, 2013, things got out of control during an argument. Victoria made a tearful 911 call, telling the police she had shot William several times in self-defense and alleged rape.

When police arrived, they found William Carter Jr. in bed dead with several gunshots.

The Night William Carter Jr. was shot

On September 13, 2013 at 2:30 am, Victoria Rickman called 911 to tell police that William Carter Jr. had raped her and that she had shot him to defend herself.

In the call Victoria is heard crying saying that she didn’t mean to do it, but that he wouldn’t stop. During the call Victoria repeats several times that she shot him because he would not stop abusing and raping her.

Police arrived at Victoria Rickman’s Atlanta home and found William Carter Jr. naked in bed, with several gunshot wounds to his body. He had wounds in his back, arm, chest and head.

There were bullet holes in the ceiling, window and wall. There were signs of blood spatter all over the place. The crime scene showed evidence that 10-13 bullets were used.

The murder weapon with which Victoria fired was a .40 caliber semiautomatic handgun, which was found on one of the tables next to the bed. Police found no forced entry or struggle.

Victoria was immediately detained by police for questioning about the murder.

Toxic Relationships and False Accusations of Abuse

Victoria Rickman was born in Atlanta, and worked as a marketing consultant. Before starting her relationship with William Carter, she had already had a relationship, which ended in divorce and a child.

According to Victoria herself, her father and other friends, her previous relationships were part of an abusive history with both her ex-husband and William. However, further investigation revealed that there was alleged domestic violence on both sides during her divorce.

Victoria has a son from her previous relationship, and so far, it is known that she has been a good mother and that her son is everything to her, according to her friends and family.

Some years after her divorce, Victoria met William through mutual friends and started a relationship. Both her friends and close relatives agreed that it was a toxic relationship on both sides, with constant situations of domestic abuse.

Aware of her sensuality, Victoria used it to seduce men, including William. Later, she also sent suggestive photos to other men in exchange for favors.

During the investigations, it was discovered that Victoria Rickman had many personality problems, related to violence in her relationships, toxicity and bad temper. It was also revealed that she accused men of mistreatment and domestic violence on many occasions.

To date, both Victoria and her lawyer Amanda Clark Palmer claim that the murder was in self-defense.

Investigation Details

Victoria Rickman was taken to the Atlanta Police Department, where she was questioned by detectives about the murder. Although Victoria stated that they were arguing, neither had any scratch marks or evidence of a previous struggle.

Police took several photos of Victoria in which they could not get any evidence of a struggle or fight between the two, only some bruises on her legs.

After several questions and interviews, among other investigations and the description of events, it was discovered that both had a history of physical and verbal violence. It was also found that Victoria had in the past made false accusations of sexual abuse against William Carter Jr. and other men, which were later ignored for lack of evidence.

In fact, 3 days before the murder, records were found of a 911 call from William asking for Victoria to be taken from his home. After a rape exam, it was discovered that there were no signs of trauma, or damage in her vaginal cavity, so the medical examiner ruled out the possibility of sexual abuse.

During the investigations, William Carter Sr., the victim’s father, told police that his son and Victoria had had a fight years earlier, in which Victoria tried to hit him with a hammer, accusing him of sexual assaults, but that she later admitted to lying.

Trial

On December 3, 2013, Victoria Rickman was indicted for felony murder by the Dekalb County jury.

The trial began on August 17, 2017, during which several pieces of evidence were presented by attorney Sheila Ross against Victoria Rickman.

One of this evidence was a 60-second video in which the couple is heard and seen having an argument. The cellphone video shows how William Carter Jr. repeatedly tells Victoria to leave, that he is tired of her lies and that he was afraid of her, while she arbitrarily tries to force her way in through the door.

Sheila Ross, also brought to the trial the testimony of William Plunkett, a former roommate of Victoria’s, who according to his statements, Victoria threatened to falsely accuse him of sexual battery.

Victoria’s lawyer, for her part, argued until the very last moment that this was a case of domestic abuse, in which Victoria had no choice but to defend herself.

Verdict

On September 1, 2017, Victoria Rickman was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison without the option of parole. She also received an additional 5-year sentence for felony murder with a firearm.

Despite Amanda Clark Palmer’s defense work to prove that Victoria had been the victim of aggravated assault, the jury determined that it was cold-blooded murder.

Rickman subsequently filed for a new trial on October 12, 2017, however, after a court hearing, denied the motion in June 2019.

Many of the statements, in this case, were shared through media outlets such as Crime Watch Daily, featured among other true crime stories.

William Carter’s family has not wanted to give statements to any media. Meanwhile, in several interviews from prison, Victoria maintains her version of having shot him in self-defense.

In an interview with Crime Watch Daily, she continues to say that William Carter raped her and that she feared for her life. Today she is still serving her sentence.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did William Carter Jr. die?

William Carter died after his girlfriend shot him.

When did William Carter Jr. die?

William Carter Jr. died on September 13, 2013.

Where is Victoria Rickman now?

Victoria Rickman is serving a life sentence at Pulaski State Prison in Hawkinsville, Georgia.

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