Mother Who Lived With Her Dead Child’s Remains Faces Multiple Charges, Including Tampering With Evidence

A Texas mother who lived for several months with the remains of her dead 8-year-old child is faced with multiple charges including tampering with evidence after she allegedly locked up and abandoned her three other kids with the deceased boy’s decomposing body.

In her first court appearance Monday, it was alleged that the 35-year-old Gloria Williams’ boyfriend, Brian Coulter, 31, beat Williams son, Kendrick Lee, 8, to death sometime around Thanksgiving of 2020, VHF digital channel KTRK-TV reported.

It was further revealed that Williams and Coulter lived with Lee’s remains in their apartment at west Harris County until March. When the couple moved out, they left behind Williams’ three other children who were aged 15, 9, and 7. The kids lived in grievous conditions with their deceased brother’s remains in an apartment with no electricity until the remains were discovered by authorities last week.

The three children, who are now under the custody of Child Protective Services, told authorities that while Williams and Coulter lived in the apartment, they were locked up inside a room where Lee’s remains were being kept. In a further attempt to keep authorities from finding the boy’s body, Williams sent groceries to the abandoned apartment only once a month and did not give up the apartment’s lease.

Williams’ 15-year-old son called 911 on Oct. 24 to disclose the conditions he and his siblings were subjected to for nearly a year, the New York Post reported.

Authorities said the children had visible physical injuries and appeared malnourished. The children also revealed how they saw Coulter punch Lee repeatedly in the back and on the child’s face. They said Coulter covered Lee with a blanket when he did not respond after the beating.

At the time of the discovery of Lee’s remains, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said the children had to be taken to the hospital due to signs of malnutrition and injury.

A hearing on Williams’ case is expected later this week to determine whether her bond should be raised or stay as is at $250,000 for injury by omission, $350,000 for injury to a child, and $300,000 for tampering with evidence.

Williams’ current bond conditions include no contact with her children nor the prosecution’s witnesses and she is also required to personally appear in court, NBC affiliate KPRC-TV reported. Coulter’s bond has been set at $1 million after he was charged with the murder of Lee.

Speaking with KHOU 11 after her arrest, Williams denied the charges. “I’m sorry. I didn’t do it.” When asked if she knew that her child had died, Williams said “No.” Williams also said she “checked on them every two weeks,” referring to her three other children. Both Williams and Coulter remain in jail after they were arrested together outside a public library last week.