Florida Man Convicted of Murder After Killing Wife for Do…

A Florida man who claimed his wife had been putting “voodoo” on him for years has been convicted of her 2021 murder.

According to the State Attorney’s Office for Florida’s 4th Judicial Circuit, 33-year-old Samijo Hemans was found guilty of second-degree murder after the death of his wife, Catherine Lee Jackson, also 33.

The ruling was handed down on September 16, following a bench trial in Jacksonville.

The crime took place on May 20, 2021, inside the couple’s apartment at Kings Crossing on Old Kings Road. Investigators say Catherine had just returned home with the couple’s baby when Hemans struck her from behind with a metal pipe.

In statements to police, Hemans admitted to hitting her in the back of the head as she walked toward the bedroom. Authorities noted that after she attempted to fight him off, he regained control of the weapon and continued striking her until she died.

Officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office discovered Catherine’s body inside the home after receiving a call about a deceased person. She had suffered severe head trauma.

Hemans told detectives there had been no argument before the attack, but he believed his wife had been using “voodoo” against him for several years.

Catherine, remembered by family and friends as a devoted mother and creative spirit, was known for her work as an athletic trainer and for her many hobbies, which included crocheting, knitting, baking, and attending Broadway shows.

An obituary published shortly after her death described her as someone who “was always making and creating something with her God-given talent.”

Prosecutors emphasized that the killing was carried out in front of the couple’s infant son, who survived the ordeal but lost his mother.

Hemans’ conviction comes more than four years after the crime, and he now faces up to life in prison when sentenced.

State Attorney Melissa Nelson’s office confirmed that sentencing has not yet been scheduled.