Durham man sentenced to life for murdering his baby daughter and her mother, DA says
A man who shot his infant daughter and her mother to death in 2019 will spend the rest of his life in prison, the Durham County district attorney’s office said Wednesday.
Ramir Reams, 27, pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of 20-year-old Zhytila “Honey” Wilkins and his 10-month-old child, Ruia Reams.
Reams was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for each murder, with the sentences to run concurrently, District Attorney Satana Deberry announced in a news release.
Mother called 911 after being shot
Wilkins had called 911 on Jan. 11, 2019, to report that she had been shot, and a gunshot was heard on the call before it disconnected.
Dispatchers who called back were told by a man, identified as Reams, that “Everything is OK,” as Wilkins was heard screaming and crying in the background, The Herald-Sun previously reported.
Reams, then 22 years old, gave them a false address later determined to be his home address, the district attorney’s office said in a news release.
Police responded to the address to find her and her baby daughter dead.
Former Durham Police Chief C.J. Davis described the incident at the time as a “a disturbing domestic murder/attempted suicide.”
“I want to express my condolences to the family of Honey and Ruia for their unimaginable loss,” said Deberry. “This horrendous act of domestic violence affected our community and the Durham DA’s Office deeply. Today’s resolution allows for a just outcome without requiring this family, who has already waited so long for justice, to relive the worst moments of their lives through a re-traumatizing trial. I hope these convictions — and knowing Mr. Reams will spend the rest of his life in prison — will provide some semblance of closure to them.”
Attempted Durham murder-suicide
Emergency responders who arrived at Wilkins’ home on Suffolk Street in Durham discovered that Reams had forced his way in the home, and found the two victims shot in the head.
Reams was found alive after shooting himself in the mouth. His injury delayed the court process. A handgun at the scene was determined to be the murder weapon and to have been fired six times.
Prosecutors said Ream and Wilkins had been in a years-long romantic relationship and had broken up shortly before the shooting. Police found hundreds of text messages on Ream’s phone with evidence of threats and a photo of the handgun used.
Prosecutors chose not to make a plea offer and were prepared to bring the case to trial on Sept. 11, according to the district attorney’s office.
This story was originally published August 30, 2023 at 10:53 AM.
