An individual implicated in a suburban Atlanta murder case, which the Trump administration has used as an example to bolster its strict immigration policies, entered a not guilty plea to murder and rape charges on Monday. Court records reflect that Hector David Sagastume Rivas, the man in question, submitted his plea through a document signed by his attorney, A. Lee Fudger, thereby waiving the need for a formal arraignment in the Cobb County courtroom appearance initially scheduled for Tuesday.
Efforts to reach Attorney Fudger for comments were unsuccessful. Rivas maintains his innocence regarding additional charges, including aggravated assault, aggravated sexual battery, and necrophilia, linked to the assault and subsequent death of 52-year-old Camillia Williams. Authorities discovered that Williams had been strangled in Marietta, either late on March 11 or early the next morning. Marietta is situated approximately 20 miles north of Atlanta.
The authorities have yet to reveal any potential motive behind the attack. At 21 years old, Rivas, who hails from Honduras, entered the United States unlawfully in March 2021. Border patrol agents apprehended him before allowing his release with an order to appear in court, according to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
ICE officials noted that a formal order for Rivas’s removal has been set for 2025. In a public declaration made in March, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem asserted that Rivas’s presence in the U.S. was unwarranted and that she, alongside President Donald Trump, was committed to prioritizing the safety of Americans.
During a press briefing in April, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the crime as “horrific” and attributed it to what she termed as the Biden administration’s weak border enforcement policies. Camillia Williams, celebrated locally as a devoted mother and grandmother, had relocated to the Atlanta area from Louisiana. Her brother, Arsene Williams, lamented to a local television station that had Rivas been deported, his sister might have still been alive.