A Texas mother has been sentenced to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges of injury to a child in connection with the death of her 8-year-old son, Kendrick Lee.
Gloria Williams, 38, was convicted after a disturbing case in which she lived alongside her son’s decomposing remains for months and abandoned her surviving children.
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Williams’ son Kendrick was brutally beaten to death in late 2020 by Williams’ boyfriend, Brian Coulter, 34.
Coulter was sentenced to life in prison without parole earlier this year.
After Kendrick died, Coulter covered his body with a blue blanket, and the couple moved to another apartment, leaving the boy’s three siblings behind in the apartment where the child’s body remained.
In October 2021, the family’s 15-year-old son called the police, reporting that Kendrick had been dead for a year and that his body was still in the room next door.
Investigators found the apartment in horrendous condition—soiled carpet, no furniture, and evidence of severe neglect.
The Harris County District Attorney condemned Williams’ actions, calling them a “complete and total disregard for human life.”
“We expect parents to protect their children, not harm them,” District Attorney Kim Ogg said.
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Williams, who initially faced the possibility of a jury trial, chose to plead guilty as part of a plea deal. In exchange, her surviving children were spared from having to testify.
She will have to serve at least 25 years of her sentence before being eligible for parole.
“By pleading guilty, she showed, for one moment, she could act like a protective mother,” prosecutor Edward Appelbaum said. Despite her actions, the case remains a heartbreaking reminder of the vulnerability of children and the critical responsibility of parents.
