BOWLING GREEN, KY – A 1-year-old boy’s death has led to murder and child abuse charges against a Kentucky couple accused of forcing the child to live in hazardous, unsanitary conditions where he allegedly ingested a soiled diaper and choked.
Deavan Williams, 22, faces charges of wanton murder and first-degree child abuse involving a child under 12, while the boy’s mother, Alexandrae Price, 22, is charged with child abuse, according to Allen County court records. Investigators say the child died July 27 after suffering what an arrest warrant describes as “suspicious trauma, including mouth bleeding and body bruising.”
Conditions inside the home detailed in warrant
According to the arrest warrant obtained by WLEX, Price left her son in Williams’ care for extended periods, during which the child was allegedly subjected to extreme neglect. The warrant states that Williams “knowingly subjected” the child to “extreme endangerment and cruel punishment.”
The document alleges the child was confined to a basement and garage filled with flies, spiders, trash, and animal waste. The garage, described as un-air-conditioned, allegedly contained “trash, beer cans, soiled diapers, and heavy cat urine, where the infant’s playpen sat directly on the contaminated floor.”
Price acknowledged the conditions during questioning, telling investigators that “the living area” had “flies and spiders.” The warrant adds that “a large amount of trash and debris was also found in the living area, posing significant health hazards,” along with “high moisture levels and poor ventilation.”
Statements detail final hours before child’s death
Williams told investigators he fell asleep while caring for the child and later discovered the boy had consumed parts of a feces-contaminated diaper. According to the warrant, the child then choked.
“Williams admitted that he was [the child’s] primary caregiver and the only adult supervising [the child] during the time period immediately preceding the child’s collapse,” the warrant states. It further notes, “He knew the baby had been eating a feces-filled diaper inside the playpen prior to becoming unresponsive.”
Investigators also allege Williams fed the child extremely spicy foods despite being told to stop. The warrant states this was done “intentionally,” contributing to what authorities described as ongoing abuse.
The child was reportedly kept in a playpen within an environment contaminated by “animal urine, animal feces, raw sewage, decomposing animals, and other hazardous conditions that Williams personally described as containing pathogens and parasites.”
Williams allegedly told police he was “surprised the baby did not have parasites due to the filth,” and admitted that he and Price bathed the child outside using a garden hose.
Court proceedings scheduled
Both Williams and Price are scheduled to appear in Allen County District Court on Wednesday for preliminary hearings. Authorities have not released additional details about the investigation.
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