Inset: Anthony Vice (WSB). Background: Sophia Williams at her sentencing for the murder of her 4-year-old son Anthony Vice (WSB).
A Georgia mother has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for the tragic death of her 4-year-old son, whom she fatally beat because he was not yet toilet-trained, according to prosecutors. Sophia Williams, 43, received her sentence on Tuesday after being found guilty in August of charges including malice murder, felony murder, cruelty to children, and aggravated battery, as reported by the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office.
The incident, which occurred in March 2022, took place in Decatur, where Williams lived with her son, Anthony Vice. Prosecutors detailed how Williams admitted to using physical punishment on Anthony for not being potty trained. According to a press release from DeKalb County prosecutors, she confessed to hitting her son with her hand, a house slipper, a purse strap, and a charging cord when he failed to use the toilet properly.
On the day Anthony died, a 13-year-old child who resided in the same household reported that Williams had beaten the young boy because he refused to use the bathroom. Williams claimed that Anthony had accidentally hit his head the previous week and denied responsibility for the injuries he sustained.
The 13-year-old witness told police that after the beating, Anthony seemed disoriented and collapsed to the floor, leading to his tragic demise.
On the day of Anthony’s death, a 13-year-old child who was also living in the home said Williams “whooped” Anthony because “he would not use the bathroom.” She claimed that the boy accidentally hit his head the week prior, and that she was not responsible for any injuries he sustained.
The 13-year-old told police that Anthony “appeared to be dizzy” and fell to the floor after being pummeled by Williams.
“The defendant placed Anthony on her bed and threw water on him,” the DA’s office says. “He revived momentarily, but became unresponsive again. His only movements throughout the night were reflexive, his arm jerking and his leg kicking.”
Williams searched on her phone for phrases such as “remedy for concussion” and “coma – symptoms and causes” before eventually falling asleep. She woke up around 5 a.m. to Anthony making a “low grunting sound” and his body “completely limp.”
Prosecutors say Williams noticed that Anthony stopped breathing and she initially called his father, then 911.
“Williams told officers that she did not want to call for help because of the bruises on Anthony’s body,” the DA’s office says. “An autopsy showed that Anthony’s cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, and it is likely he would have survived if Williams had sought medical care when she first observed the signs of Anthony’s head injury.”
DeKalb County Assistant District Attorney Sarah Hillren described the severity of Williams’ assault on Anthony at her sentencing Tuesday. The judge who sentenced Williams called Anthony’s death one of the most gruesome crimes she’s ever seen, according to local ABC affiliate WSB.
“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,” Hillren concluded before the judge handed down her sentence.
