Woman claims TV coverage tainted her trial after fatally shooting husband

In this episode of Crime Watch Daily Updates: Imagine dialing 911, and in addition to police showing up, a television crew arrives ready to record at the scene of the crime. That’s what happened to Victoria Rickman one fateful day in Atlanta.

In the early hours of September 13, 2013, Victoria called Atlanta Police to report that she shot her ex, William Carter, after he had raped her. Police got to the scene and found William dead with gunshot wounds all over his body and a handgun on a nightstand. He had been shot in the chest, back, head, and arm.

Police took Victoria to the hospital where she underwent a rape exam. Though the test confirmed she had sex, doctors supposedly did not find any internal trauma or injuries matching her rape allegations. Meanwhile, the investigation was still being recorded by a television crew.

William and Victoria’s relationship was tumultuous and fraught with allegations of physical and sexual abuse. They got engaged at one point but broke up before making it to the altar. One time, Victoria reportedly tried getting into William’s house and she was arrested for battery. He had previously been taken into custody on charges of sexual battery.

Victoria was arrested on suspicion of murder the same day William was found dead and naked on the bed, and in December 2013, she was officially charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. She went to trial in August 2017 and was convicted on all charges.

A judge sentenced Victoria to life in prison without parole, plus five years for the malice murder and firearm charges. She appealed her conviction, but in April 2020, the Supreme Court of Georgia affirmed the lower court’s ruling.

Let’s look back at the case of a woman who fatally shot her ex while the investigation all played out on television.