Hawaii could see its first death sentence as former U.S. Army soldier Naeem Williams faces capital punishment for the beating death of his 5-year-old daughter, Talia.
The state abolished the death penalty in 1957 but the crime happened on a U.S. military base and is being tried in federal court.
Talia Williams died in 2005 after her father and stepmother, Delilah, allegedly beat the girl for several months. An investigator in the trial testified that Williams thought his daughter could withstand constant beating because she was, "Teflon tough."
Delilah Williams admitted to stomping on Talia before she died, saying that the child had ruined her life. She is now serving a 20-year sentence in exchange for testifying against her husband.
The U.S. Attorney's office is seeking the death penalty after a grand jury indicted Williams in 2006 on one charge of first degree murder.
[HuffPost Live]
