Sophia Williams, 43, was sentenced on Dec. 10 to life without parole plus 10 years after being convicted in August of multiple charges, including Malice Murder and First-Degree Cruelty to Children, in the death of her 4-year-old son, Anthony Vice. The child was found unresponsive on March 6, 2022, with new and old bruises; an autopsy attributed his death to blunt force trauma to the head. A 13-year-old witness said Williams 'whooped' Anthony the day before he collapsed, and prosecutors say Williams delayed seeking medical care despite signs of a head injury.
Georgia Mother Sentenced to Life Without Parole After 4-Year-Old Dies Following Beating Over Potty Training
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Sophia Williams, 43, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole plus an additional 10 years after a DeKalb County jury convicted her in August of charges related to the death of her 4-year-old son, Anthony Vice.
DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston said in a Dec. 10 news release that Williams was found guilty on counts that included Malice Murder, two counts of Felony Murder, four counts of First-Degree Cruelty to Children and three counts of Aggravated Battery.
First responders discovered Anthony unresponsive and 'without a heartbeat' on the living room floor of an apartment on March 6, 2022. Paramedics and emergency personnel reported seeing both new and old bruises across much of the child's body before he was transported to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, where he was later pronounced dead.
An autopsy concluded that blunt force trauma to the head was the cause of death. Medical examiners determined the child may have survived if he had received timely medical attention when signs of a head injury first appeared.
In pretrial interviews, Williams admitted disciplining Anthony for not being potty trained and said she struck him with her hand, a house slipper, a purse strap and a charging cord. A 13-year-old who was in the home on March 5, 2022, told investigators that Williams had 'whooped' Anthony that day; the witness said the boy appeared dizzy, fell to the floor and was unresponsive.
According to prosecutors, Williams moved Anthony to her bed and splashed water on him, briefly rousing him. He remained mostly unresponsive through the night, making only small reflexive movements. Prosecutors also reported that Williams searched her phone for terms such as 'remedy for concussion' and 'coma symptoms and causes' before finally contacting the child’s father at 5:38 a.m. and calling 911 at 6:26 a.m. She later told investigators she had delayed seeking help because she was concerned the bruises on Anthony’s body would reveal abuse.
Legal Outcome and Public Resources
Williams will serve life without parole plus 10 years following the jury's verdict and the judge's sentence. The range of charges reflected prosecutors' contention that the death resulted from a violent head injury and that the child had been subjected to repeated acts of cruelty and battery.
DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston: The sentence acknowledges the severity of the abuse and the tragic loss of a young life.
If you suspect child abuse, contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or visit www.childhelp.org. Calls are toll-free, confidential and available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
Reporting on this case is based on the DeKalb County District Attorney's news release and court records.
