Left: Samijo Hemans (Jacksonville Sheriff”s Office). Right: Catherine Hemans (4th Judicial Circuit State Attorney).
A Florida judge found a 33-year-old man guilty of killing his wife with a metal pipe, claiming he acted because she had been practicing “voodoo” on him for “several years” and he was tired of it.
On Thursday, Samijo Hemans was convicted of second-degree murder for the death of his wife, Catherine Hemans, also 33, in Jacksonville, as reported by the Office of the State Attorney for the 4th Judicial Circuit in a press release. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a deceased individual at an apartment on Old Kings Road on May 20, 2021.
Upon arrival, officers discovered the victim on the floor with severe head injuries. The suspect, who remained at the scene, was taken into custody. After being read his Miranda rights, he confessed that his wife and their child had come to the apartment about 45 minutes prior to him attacking her. As his wife walked towards the bedroom, Samijo Hemans grabbed a metal pipe and struck her on the back of the head, according to prosecutors.
The two began to wrestle for control of the pipe before he grabbed it back and hit her several more times.
“He stated that there was no argument involved, but he committed the act after enduring years of her performing ‘voodoo’ on him,” the prosecutors detailed.
Samijo Hemans will be sentenced at a later date. He faces up to life in prison.
According to her obituary, Catherine Hemans previously worked as an assistant athletic trainer at Austin Peay State University in Tennessee.
“Cathy was a dedicated sports fan with the Philadelphia Eagles as her favorite team,” stated her obituary. “She had a natural talent for creativity, often exploring inventive ideas on Pinterest and crafting uniquely sentimental gifts and portraits for her loved ones. Cathy was constantly engaged in creating and making something special using her God-given talents.”
