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Houston mother gets 50 years for son's death
A Houston mother is sentenced for her role in the death of her 8-year-old son, whose body was found decomposed in the apartment where his brother were still living. FOX 26's Jonathan Mejia is at the courthouse with more information.
HOUSTON - Gloria Williams was sentenced to 50 years in prison on Tuesday as part of a plea deal for her role in the tragic death of her son, bringing an end to a case that has haunted the Houston community and left a deep impact on her surviving children.
The sentencing concluded a lengthy legal battle and spared the three young children from testifying in court about their traumatic experiences.
Assistant District Attorney Edward Appelbaum expressed how he felt about the sentencing, stating, "Justice was served, 50 years is appropriate. The judge listened and considered all the evidence. We’re thankful that the kids did not have to go through another horrific deal."
RELATED: Brian Coulter found guilty of killing 8-year-old boy, sentenced to life in prison
Williams boyfriend, Brian Coulter, was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison for killing Williams' 8-year-old son, Kendrick Lee.
According to court records, Coulter assaulted Lee in their apartment on the 3500 block of Green Crest Drive, near the Westpark Tollway. Prosecutors claims Coulter continued to live in the apartment with the boy’s decomposing body while Kendrick's siblings stayed in the room with him as well.
Gloria Williams (Mugshot from 2021)
The brothers testified witnessing the assault and being in the room when the 8-year-old died. His body was left in the room with his siblings for an extended period of time. One sibling explained that Coulter had beaten Kendrick over an incident involving water. Coulter allegedly became angry when Kendrick drank what Coulter saw as more than his share of water.
Only skeletal remains were found in the apartment when police arrived in October 2021, according to court documents.
MORE: Brian Coulter trial: New details revealed in 8-year-old's murder case
Williams lived in the apartment with her son's decomposing body for months from November 2020 to March 2021, before she left her other children to live with the body alone, court reports revealed.
Williams was receiving $2,000 a month for three of her kids who are disabled, including Lee, but according to the prosecutor, Williams continued receiving money for the 8-year-old even after he was dead.
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"It could’ve been March 2020, June of 2020, it could’ve been September 2020, it could’ve been October of 2020. We could just go on every single month, but she did nothing and that’s the point," Appelbaum said.
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Assistant District Attorney Celeste Byrom added, "It is a hard case you can only imagine what it could’ve been like for the children experiencing this," she said. "We should never lose a child because a parent is not willing to reach out and ask for help during these situations"
"She did not want to have the kids go through all this again. It’s why we pled guilty," public defender Neil Davidson said when speaking about Williams. "She’s upset. She is happy that it’s done with. She’s happy that it’s all over with and there’s some closure and closure for the kids."
"Brian Coulter was the truly evil person in this. He is the one who killed Kendrick. She didn’t do anything to prevent that, but you tried to give the court insight of what was going on her head as best as you can," Davidson added.