In the inset, there’s a photo of Tyrice Williams from the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, against the backdrop of the apartment complex in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where his infant son was tragically injured (image from Google Maps).
A father in Oklahoma is behind bars after his infant son was taken to a hospital with a “deformed skull” and subsequently died, police say.
Tyrice Antione Williams, aged 24, has been charged with first-degree murder due to child abuse, as reported by the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office. Alongside this, prosecutors have submitted an “application to accelerate,” a legal procedure in Oklahoma suggesting that a defendant might have breached the conditions of a previously postponed criminal sentence.
A police report indicates that on Monday, officers were dispatched to the Eagle Pointe Apartments on East 71st Street in the Charter Oak area in response to a domestic disturbance call, as stated in a press release.
There, law enforcement discovered the 1-month-old baby boy suffering from cardiac arrest and in dire need of medical attention.
The child was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he quickly succumbed to his injuries, according to the police department.
The press release details that doctors found severe injuries on the infant, including fractures to the right femur and humerus, left clavicle, a broken left arm, a right pneumothorax, skull fracture, and skull deformity. The medical team indicated these injuries were consistent with trauma.
The defendant reportedly explained to investigators that while he was holding the baby, someone in the apartment complex pushed him down the stairs, according to police statements.
But detectives believe the incident occurred inside the unit.
Police say surveillance footage and audio – by way of a doorbell camera near the apartment – disproved Williams’ narrative.
The person alleged to have pushed the defendant is seen leaving the residence in a video clip, along with the boy’s mother, police claim.
According to the press release, doorbell camera footage captured Williams leaving the apartment with an empty liquor bottle. The same camera later recorded him returning alone, and afterward, audio from the camera recorded him speaking to the baby before seven loud thuds were heard.
Police said multiple neighbors and witnesses were interviewed during the investigation.
On Tuesday, Williams was arrested without incident after being charged by the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office.
The identity of the child has not been released as of this writing.
Tyrice Williams in an initial intake photo (Tulsa Police Department).
Law&Crime reached out to the Tulsa Police Department for additional details and information on this story, but no response was immediately forthcoming at the time of publication.
In February 2024, Williams was charged with one felony count of domestic assault and battery by strangulation, court records show. In March 2024, the charge was downgraded to misdemeanor domestic assault and battery and sentencing was deferred.
The defendant is currently being detained in the Tulsa County Jail without bond. Williams is slated to be arraigned on Friday.
