A mother in Texas who did nothing to protect her 8-year-old son from her boyfriend, who beat him to death, left her young boys to live with their sibling's decomposing body for an entire year.
Gloria Yvette Williams, 38, pleaded guilty last week to causing serious bodily injury by omission in the death of her son Kendrick Lee, according to Law & Crime.
In April, a judge found Williams' 34-year-old boyfriend Brian Ward Coulter guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole following a five-day bench trial.
In October 2021, Lee's 15-year-old sibling called 911 to inform authorities that he and his siblings, who were 7 and 10 years old at the time, had been living with their deceased brother's body in a west Houston home.
According to Law&Crime, investigators believe Kendrick had died sometime in late 2020. Coulter and Williams covered his body with a blanket and then moved to another apartment, leaving the other three children behind.
Following the 911 call, officers arrested the pair a few weeks later.
During trial, the siblings testified on behalf of their deceased brother. They reportedly told the court that they saw Coulter repeatedly beating Kendrick while he was still alive, and the youngest told the judge how he watched Kendrick's eyes until he stopped blinking during the fatal beating.
"The death of Kendrick Lee was so tragic, and because of the fact that for so long there was no one to speak up for him, we felt like we had a duty to be his voice," said Celeste Byrom, Assistant District Attorney.
Counsel Edward A. Appelbaum also expressed, "No matter who you are, if you're a human being, the facts of this case would shake you to the core. It's a horrific act."
Williams' charges accuse her of failing to protect Kendrick and denying him proper medical care, food, and shelter.
As part of her plea, Williams could face up to 55 years in prison.
