A Georgia woman will spend life in prison, following the 2022 death of her 4-year-old son.
On Tuesday, DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Asha F. Jackson sentenced 43-year-old Sophia Williams to life without the possibility of parole, in connection with the murder of Anthony Vice.
According to the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office, police arrived to an apartment complex on Tregoney Drive on March 6, 2022, in response to an unresponsive child.
FOX 5 Atlanta reports that police found Anthony on the floor inside an apartment home, not breathing. First responders noted that he didn’t have a heartbeat and his body had numerous bruises.
Williams admitted to hitting her son with a charging cord, a purse strap, her house slipper and with her hand. She claimed she had been disciplining him for not using a toilet to urinate and defecate.
She also claimed he hit his head the week prior and that she never caused any head injuries.
First responders rushed the victim to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, where medical staff pronounced him dead.
When officers interviewed a 13-year-old inside the home, he said the victim fell to the floor, dizzy, after Williams “whooped” him for not being potty-trained.
Williams attempted to revive Anthony by throwing water on him. He remained unresponsive throughout the night. The following day, Williams called the child’s father for help, and close to an hour later, called 911.
The DA’s office reportedly said that Williams did not want to call for help because of the bruising on Anthony.
“Because the conduct alleged was so heinous, so cruel, it is the state’s position that she should not be permitted to live out any portion of her life in the community,” DeKalb County Assistant District Attorney Sarah Hilleren said.
Jackson said that during her 14 years on the bench, the crime was one of the most gruesome she had seen, according to Channel 2 Action News.
Anthony’s cause of death was from blunt force trauma. He could have survived had she sought medical care after the head injury.
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[Feature Photo: Family Handout]
