Bessemer, AL - A convicted rapist who now faces capital murder charges is scheduled to be back in court Monday.

The murder trial for 20 year-old Lakendall Sims is scheduled to begin at 9am Monday at the Jefferson County Courthouse in Bessemer. Sims is charged in the 2007 murders of Gabriel Alaniz and Mary Catherine Williams. He's also faces robbery charges stemming from both the home invasion and brutal beating of an elderly Lipscomb couple.


In September 2008, Sims escaped from the Bessemer jail as was being transported from the jail to the courthouse. Investigators say he assaulted a bailiff and stole his uniform and gun. They say he walked out of the courthouse, carjacked a van and then hid out in a Lipscomb home. He was caught  by Jefferson County deputies 24 hours later in Lipscomb. Sims now faces additional charges including assault, robbery, theft, burglary and escape.

Some residents have no mercy for Sims.

"He needs to be dead. Plain and simple. It's called capital punishment. It's a guaranteed way of cutting down on repeat offenders," says Al Schreiber, concerned resident.

"I just hope he's in jail for the rest of his life because that's more than enough crimes. To get 1,2,3, strikes," says Ryan Geoghagan, concerned resident.

Other residents say they want justice but say Sims is young and needs psychological help.

"It goes back to the family. How he was raised. It's something that's going on inside they need to try and fix. They need to get him some help," says Meyarn Gaston, concerned resident.

A new trial date was set for this month after a judge declared a mistrial in November 2008.

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