Inset: Alfred Williams (Tarrant County Corrections Center). Background: The apartment complex where Williams killed his 4-month-old son in Fort Worth, Tex. (Google Maps).
A Texas man is facing a lengthy prison sentence after being convicted of killing his infant son by violently throwing him onto a couch amid a bout of stress.
Alfred Williams, 21, was found guilty by a Tarrant County jury of felony murder in relation to the death of his 4-month-old son, Azari Williams, which was attributed to child abuse.
The tragic incident took place in February 2023 at an apartment complex located on Southwest Loop 820 in southwest Fort Worth.
On that fateful day, Azari was rushed to Cook Children’s Hospital, where he tragically died from blunt force injuries sustained at home, as reported by the medical examiner’s office and Dallas-based Fox affiliate KDFW. The family had no prior history with Child Protective Services at the time of the incident.
According to a Fort Worth Star-Telegram report from the courtroom, Williams was the only adult present in the apartment with Azari and the infant’s 11-year-old half-brother earlier that day.
As Azari began to cry louder, Williams reportedly shouted for the infant to be quiet. In a moment of frustration, the first-time father picked up his son and squeezed him, resulting in the fracture of two of the baby’s ribs, according to law enforcement authorities.
After that, Williams threw Azari into the arm of the couch. Then, the baby bounced – likely hitting his head on the wall, doctors said. In the end, a pathologist determined the combined attack had caused significant brain bleeding and a spinal column fracture.
During the state’s closing argument, Assistant District Attorney Steven Elliott said Williams had thrown Azari “like he was nothing.”
“I didn’t want to hurt my child,” Williams would later tell a detective through tears.
The defendant would go on to reveal the stresses in his life. He was unemployed at the time, could not pay his cellphone bill, and spent most of his time alone in the apartment caring for the often-crying baby boy while Azari’s mother worked 12-hour shifts at a hospital.
But the man did find nonviolent ways to relieve stress, sometimes smoking cigars outside, other times walking to nearby stores.
The 11-year-old would provide an account of the evening, telling investigators he was in his bedroom when he heard his brother crying, then heard Williams shouting, and finally heard the crying stop.
The defendant was initially arrested on one count of injury to a child with serious bodily injury, the Star-Telegram reported. He was later indicted on the more severe offense.
The defense, for its part, argued manslaughter was a better fit for the facts of the case. Jurors were allowed to consider that lesser-included offense – over an objection by the state – in instructions prepared by 297th District Court Senior Judge Everett Young.
The jury ultimately determined the defendant did not intentionally kill Azari, but committed the felony crime of injury to a child and caused his death. During the next phase of the trial, the same jury will assess Williams’ sentence. He faces five years to life in prison.
