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Written by: A. Smith
Published December 18, 2025 @ 7:45 AM ET
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. – A DeKalb County mother has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 10 additional years, for the beating death of her 4-year-old son, a case prosecutors said involved prolonged abuse and a fatal failure to seek medical help.
A jury convicted Sophia Williams, 43, on Aug. 27 of malice murder, two counts of felony murder, four counts of first-degree cruelty to children, and three counts of aggravated battery. DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Asha F. Jackson imposed the sentence Tuesday.
Prosecutors said the child’s injuries were inflicted as punishment during potty training and that the boy could have survived if Williams had sought medical care when he first became unresponsive.
Police were called to the family’s apartment on Tregoney Drive on the morning of March 6, 2022, where officers found the child lying on the living room floor without a heartbeat. Medics attempted lifesaving measures and rushed him to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, where he was pronounced dead. Authorities noted both fresh and older bruises covering his body.
According to the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office, Williams told investigators her son was not potty-trained and said she disciplined him by spanking him with her hand, a house slipper, a purse strap, and a charging cord when he failed to use the toilet or did not obey. She also claimed the child had accidentally hit his head about a week earlier and denied responsibility for his injuries.
A 13-year-old who was in the apartment told officers that Williams “whooped” the child the afternoon before his death after he would not use the bathroom. The teen said the boy became dizzy, collapsed, and appeared unresponsive.
Prosecutors said Williams placed the child on a bed and threw water on him, briefly reviving him before he passed out again. The boy remained largely motionless throughout the night, occasionally flinching as his arms jerked and legs kicked.
Investigators said Williams searched online for phrases including “remedy for concussion” and “Coma – symptoms and causes.” Around 5 a.m., she woke to the child making low grunting sounds. His body was limp, and he had stopped breathing, prosecutors said.
Williams waited another 38 minutes before calling the child’s father and later told investigators she delayed calling 911 because she feared the bruises on the boy’s body would be noticed. Emergency services were contacted at 6:26 a.m.
An autopsy determined the child died from blunt-force trauma to the head. The medical examiner concluded that had Williams sought immediate medical attention when the boy first lost consciousness, there was a high likelihood he would have survived.
Prosecutors said the sentence reflects the severity of the abuse and the prolonged suffering endured by the child.