Orlando Baez

Background

Orlando Baez was convicted of stabbing Janice "Sissy" Williams to death.

Baez repeatedly appealed his 1993 conviction for killing Williams in her East King Street apartment and maintained his innocence, saying that another man was responsible.

The Defender Association of Pennsylvania carried the case through various appeals. Baez claimed his lawyers were ineffective and the trial was unfair.

In 1999, Gov. Tom Ridge signed Baez's death warrant. Execution was delayed to permit an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, which refused to hear the case. Three years later, the state Supreme Court sent the case back to Lancaster County to decide whether Baez should have another hearing. Judge Paul Allison was handling the case until illness intervened in the summer of 2007, after which Judge Howard Knisely took over.

Baez was an inmate of the state's Greene Prison in Waynesburg.

Baez urged that he be executed, requesting an immediate video conference hearing to address a motion for an immediate execution.

Baez requested that the hearing be held by teleconference so he would not have to return to Lancaster.

In a letter copied to the New Era, Baez gave two reasons for his request: he did not want to “go through the mistreatment or the abuse which (he) had gone through in the 'hands' of the staffs/officials at the Lancaster County Jail” when he attended another hearing in May 2007, and he said he was seriously ill and in chronic pain from lupus and that “any unnecessary stress will create extra unwanting medical complication.”

The offence

Janice "Sissy" Williams was stabbed to death.

Williams' autopsy showed that she had been stabbed 86 times in the chest, back and torso, and 15 times in the face.

Trial testimony indicated Williams would have been conscious while many of the wounds were inflicted.

Williams was raped and beaten.

Baez and the witness Henry Gibson walked home, leaving the 2 children alone in the apartment with the mutilated body.

Prosecutors maintained that Baez raped and tortured Williams and stabbed her more than 100 times. Her children were in the apartment at the time.

Investigation

The young woman's murder went unsolved for 4 years until a witness came forward.

Henry Gibson came forward and told police he was in the apartment that night and saw Baez stabbing Williams.

Gibson told police he kept quiet about the murder because Baez threatened to kill him if he talked.

Arrest

After Williams was dead, Baez and Gibson walked home, leaving the 2 children alone in the apartment with the mutilated body.

At first, Baez told police he didn't know Gibson.

Then he said it was Gibson who stabbed Williams and he tried to help her.

Trial

Baez was convicted of killing Williams.

Sentencing

Baez was sentenced to death in 1993.

In 1999, Gov.

Appeals

In the state, the state Supreme Court sent the case back to Lancaster County to decide whether Baez should have another hearing.

Three years after the state Supreme Court sent the case back, the case was being handled by Judge Paul Allison until illness intervened in the summer of 2007.

Judge Howard Knisely later took over and said the case was moving forward.

Baez continued to maintain his innocence and repeatedly appealed his 1993 conviction, saying that another man was responsible.

Outcome

Knisely said Baez earlier had asked for a hearing on his request for execution and that a hearing had been set for Dec. 15.

Baez's request at the time was to hold that hearing by teleconference.

Aftermath

The inmate urged: “Execute me.”

Baez requested that he be executed immediately and asked for an “immediate video conference hearing” to address motion for an immediate execution.

Baez said he was seriously ill and in chronic pain from lupus and that “any unnecessary stress will create extra unwanting medical complication.”

Other details

Baez was described as now 47 at the time of the discussion of his request for execution.

The victim was described as a 22-year-old mother of two young children.

Williams' murder occurred in her East King Street apartment.

Williams' body was not discovered until Jan. 7, when a motorist stopped after finding Williams' two toddlers wandering outside their home in their pajamas.

The children led the motorist inside the 1st-floor apartment to their dead mother's bloody body.

Gibson said Baez threatened to kill him if he talked.

Baez was asking Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas Judge Howard Knisely to grant his immediate video conference request.

The state Attorney General's Office was prosecuting. Judge Paul Allison was noted as handling the case until illness intervened in the summer of 2007.