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Sims sentenced to life for murder

• The earliest Earnest Sims could become eligible to be released from prison is 2038, prosecutors said.

J.D. Sumner

ALBANY — An Albany man accused of stabbing the mother of his children to death was sentenced to serve the rest of his life plus five years in jail, court officials said.

Earnest Sims III agreed to plead guilty to felony murder and weapons charges and spare the family of the victims a lengthy trial, Assistant District Attorney Shelly Faulk said.

“We agree with Judge (Stephen) Goss. Accepting responsibility and pleading guilty is the most admirable thing Mr. Sims has done,” Faulk said.

Sims was sentenced to serve the remainder of his natural life in prison plus five years, Faulk said. Under stricter sentencing standards, the earliest Sims would become eligible for parole would be in 2038, but Faulk said that his chances of being paroled on the first try are slim.

Sims stood accused of murdering the mother of his three children and longtime girlfriend Jessica Acres after she had decided to end their relationship August 22, 2007, prosecutors said.

Police reports show that he stole a neighbor’s car and fled to a former friend’s home in Eastpoint, Fla., where he was apprehended by a SWAT team after a standoff.

Sims reportedly stabbed himself before he was arrested and nearly died while in transit to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, police records show.

Faulk said that the agreement spares the family the added trauma of having to relive the events of Acres murder during a trial.

“They are an extremely amazing family,” Faulk said. “And they understood that if we didn’t reach an agreement that it would’ve gone to trial and I would’ve had to put those children on the stand and that would’ve been extremely tough on everyone.”

Two of Sims’ children are diagnosed with DeGeorge’s Syndrome, a genetic disorder that can lead to a variety of physical problems including their ability to speak. Faulk said that calling those children as witnesses would’ve contributed further to their ordeal.

After sentencing, Faulk said that family members, including Acres mother, had the opportunity to address Sims.

“She looked at him and told him how the children still ask where their mom is and how difficult it was to explain things to them,” Faulk said. “But amazingly enough she said she still managed to forgive him. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room.”

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