A Texas mother has been accused of not protecting her 8-year-old son from her boyfriend’s deadly abuse and leaving her other children to live with the boy’s decomposing body for a year, according to authorities.
Gloria Yvette Williams, 38, pleaded guilty last week to causing serious injury by failing to act in the death of her son, Kendrick Lee. Her boyfriend, 34-year-old Brian Ward Coulter, was found guilty of first-degree murder in April and sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole after a five-day trial.
The investigation began in October 2021 when a 15-year-old boy called 911. He revealed that he and his siblings, aged 7 and 10, had been living with Kendrick’s body in their Houston home for a whole year. It was discovered that after Kendrick died in late 2020, Coulter and Williams covered his body with a blue blanket and moved to another apartment, leaving the children behind. The couple was arrested a few weeks after the 15-year-old made the call.
The siblings testified that they witnessed Coulter beating Kendrick while he was still alive. The youngest brother recounted seeing Kendrick’s eyes until he stopped blinking during the assault.
Celeste Byrom, an assistant district attorney, expressed the tragedy of Kendrick’s death, stating, “For so long, there was no one to speak up for him, and we felt we had a duty to be his voice. It was important for us to secure justice for him.”
Co-counsel Edward A. Appelbaum added, “No matter who you are, the facts of this case are shocking. It’s a horrific act.”
Williams has been charged with failing to protect Kendrick and providing him with necessary care, food, and shelter. She faces up to 55 years in prison when she is sentenced on November 11.
