7.52 AM Friday, 19 April 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 04:32 05:49 12:21 15:48 18:47 20:04
19 April 2024

US adoptive mom starves Ethiopian girl to death

Larry Williams reacts as he is found guilty of manslaughter in the death of his adopted daughter, Hana, Monday, Sept. 9, 2013, in Mount Vernon, Wash. Hana Williams died in the backyard of the family's home in May 2011. Prosecutors said she was starved, beaten and forced outside as punishment. Williams' wife, Carri Williams, was found guilty of homicide by abuse as well as manslaughter. The jury also convicted them both of assault. (AP)

Published
By Reuters

A US adoptive mother accused of starving her 13-year-old Ethiopian-born daughter and locking her outside in the cold, where she died from exposure, was found guilty of homicide on Monday in Washington state.

Hana Williams, adopted from Ethiopia in 2008, died of hypothermia in May 2011 after she was found unconscious outside shortly after midnight in temperatures hovering around 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius), authorities said.

The girl's mother, Carri Williams, was convicted on Monday of homicide by abuse and of manslaughter linked to the girl's death, while the father, Larry Williams, was convicted of first-degree manslaughter, a representative of the Skagit County Prosecutor's Office said.

"It was a very sad, sad story," Skagit County Prosecuting Attorney Rich Weyrich told Reuters. "It was something that shouldn't have happened. Fortunately, we were able to prove the charges, so we were able to hold them accountable."

Larry and Carri Williams of Sedro-Woolley - a town about halfway between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia - were arrested in September 2011, more than four months after Hana died in their backyard.

Investigators say Hana endured beatings and starvation and was forced to sleep outside and use an outdoor toilet. Also she had lost a significant amount of weight since her adoption. Prosecutors said her 10-year-old brother, who also was adopted from Ethiopia, was similarly mistreated.

The parents kept the family isolated from non-relatives, home-schooled the children and followed strict religious principles," investigators said.

In addition to the charges linked to Hana's death, both parents were found guilty of assault of a child stemming from mistreatment of their 10-year-old son.

The jury deadlocked on whether the father was guilty of  homicide by abuse, a more serious charge than manslaughter, said Vickie Maurer, an office administrator for Weyrich. Weyrich said his office was undecided on whether to retry the husband on the homicide charge.

Both parents could face a maximum penalty of up to life in prison due to aggravating factors in the crime, although prosecutors said the judge had the discretion in how lengthy their incarcerations would be.

The Williamses will be sentenced next month by Skagit County Superior Court Judge Susan K Cook.

Lawyers for the couple could not immediately be reached for comment.