A Jacksonville man has been convicted of second-degree murder for the killing of his wife with a metal pipe in 2021 and is now awaiting sentencing. On September 16, 2025, a judge found 33-year-old Samijo Hemans guilty during a bench trial for the death of his wife, Catherine Hemans, also 33.
The crime occurred at the Kings Crossing Apartments on Old Kings Road in May of 2021. According to a police report, Hemans admitted to striking his wife in the head from behind about 45 minutes after she and their infant child returned to the apartment.
Authorities said that after the initial blow, Catherine attempted to wrestle the weapon from him, but Hemans struck her several more times. She died as a result of the attack. In his statements to investigators, Hemans claimed that no argument preceded the assault.
Instead, he alleged that his wife had been practicing “voodoo” on him for years, which he suggested influenced his actions. Police records did not indicate evidence supporting those claims. The case proceeded without a jury, with the judge ultimately delivering the guilty verdict.
Sentencing has not yet been scheduled, but Hemans faces the possibility of life in prison for the conviction. The brutal nature of the attack, paired with the absence of any provocation, has shocked the Jacksonville community. Neighbors at Kings Crossing told police they had not heard fighting or raised voices on the day of the murder, though some recalled past tension between the couple.
Law enforcement officers arriving at the apartment found Catherine unresponsive with severe head injuries consistent with blunt force trauma. The metal pipe believed to have been used in the assault was recovered at the scene. Their infant child was unharmed and is now in the care of relatives.
Prosecutors argued that the killing was intentional and unprovoked, emphasizing Hemans’ own admission and the evidence collected at the apartment. The defense offered no substantial dispute of the physical evidence but leaned heavily on Hemans’ claims of being under long-term psychological distress.
Legal experts noted that Florida law allows for wide sentencing discretion in second-degree murder cases. While Hemans could be eligible for parole after decades in prison, the severity of the attack makes a life sentence a strong possibility.
The sentencing hearing is expected to draw significant attention, as the court determines the punishment for a crime that left a young child without a mother and shocked a community.