International

Sep 10, 2013

Woman guilty of murdering adopted girl who starved and froze to death

A Washington couple has been convicted in the death of their adopted daughter, Hana Williams. The mother, Carri Williams, has been "found guilty of homicide by abuse and manslaughter in the death of her adopted daughter...." The father, "Larry Williams, was convicted of first-degree manslaughter...."
 
What happened?
Hana Williams was locked outside and died of hypothermia in May 2011 after she was found unconscious shortly after midnight in temperatures hovering around 40F (4C), authorities said.
...

Investigators said Hana had endured beatings, starvation, being forced to sleep outside and use an outdoor toilet and that she had lost a significant amount of weight since her adoption in 2008. 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 them and followed a harsh child-rearing regimen described in the Christian parenting book To Train Up a Child, investigators said, while adding that religion had been deemed not relevant to the criminal case.
 
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I just learned of this case by reading Woman guilty of murdering adopted girl who starved and froze to death on The Guardian.