Texas mom who forced children to live with sibling’s decomposing body for a year faces 55 years in prison

38-year-old Gloria Yvette Williams from Texas, pleaded guilty to causing serious bodily injury by omission after failing to protect her 8-year-old son, Kendrick Lee, from a fatal beating by her boyfriend, 34-year-old Brian Ward Coulter.

Coulter was found guilty of first-degree murder in April and sentenced to life in prison without parole following a five-day trial.

The case came to light in October 2021 when Kendrick’s 15-year-old brother called 911 to report that he and his siblings, ages 7 and 10, had been living with Kendrick’s decomposing body for a year in a west Houston apartment.

Investigators discovered that after Kendrick’s death in late 2020, Coulter and Williams covered his body with a blanket and moved to another apartment, abandoning the children.

Testimony from Kendrick’s siblings revealed the horrific abuse they witnessed. The youngest brother described watching Kendrick’s eyes until he stopped blinking as Coulter continued the fatal beating.

Prosecutors called the case tragic, with assistant district attorney Celeste Byrom stating, “It was important that we were able to secure justice for him.”

TOP STORIES

• Boy, 8, fatally shoots himself after his grandmother left him to go spend time with friends: Police
• 10-year-old boy caught in chilling video circling a playground full of children with a stolen car: Police
• Home health aide who deliberately ignored 86-year-old man’s deadly fall said, ‘He was old anyway, so what does it matter?’

Williams’ charges include her failure to provide Kendrick with necessary medical care, food and shelter. She faces up to 55 years in prison when sentenced on November 11.