• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Mom abandoned her children and forced them to live with rotting body of dead brother for more than a year

Home> News> US News

Published 17:14 16 Nov 2024 GMT

Mom abandoned her children and forced them to live with rotting body of dead brother for more than a year

Texas mom-of-four Gloria Williams was recently sentenced to 50 years behind bars

Niamh Shackleton

Niamh Shackleton

Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse which some readers may find distressing.

A mother who made her children live in squalor alongside their deceased brother has been sentenced to 50 years in prison.

Gloria Williams's eight-year-old son Kendrick Lee died in 2020, and his body remained in his family's Texas-based apartment for over a year after his passing.

Advert

The young boy's stepfather, Brian Coulter, was sentenced in April to life in prison without parole after being convicted of capital murder for killing him.

The 34-year-old is said to have beat the young boy to death.

While Coulter was charged with murder, Williams pleaded guilty to injury to a child causing serious bodily harm - a first-degree felony.

Kendrick’s body was covered with a blue blanket and lay in the apartment for over a year while his siblings were forced to stay there with the remains, say police.

Advert

It wasn't until one of his brothers called the police that the authorities learnt of the horrifying ordeal.

When officers arrived at their home in October 2021, only Kendrick's skeletal remains were found.

As well as having to live alongside their dead sibling, reportedly the three kids (aged 15, 10, and seven) were living in a soiled, roach-infested apartment, The Independent reports.

Eight-year-old Kendrick Lee was beaten to death by his stepfather (Fox 26 Houston)
Eight-year-old Kendrick Lee was beaten to death by his stepfather (Fox 26 Houston)

Advert

They were also malnourished and had been left to fend for themselves for some time.

Speaking after Williams' sentencing earlier this week, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said: "We expect parents to protect their children, not hurt them, because children really are our most vulnerable victims.

"This case shocks the conscience not just because a child lost his life, but because of his parents’ complete and total disregard for human life."

Two of Kendrick's siblings testified against their mother during her trial and confirmed that Coulter repeatedly beat Kendrick when he was alive.

Advert

Gloria Williams and Brian Coulter pictured in custody (Harris County Sheriff)
Gloria Williams and Brian Coulter pictured in custody (Harris County Sheriff)

It was after the eight-year-old's murder that their mom and stepdad moved to a new apartment, leaving the three boys and their dead sibling to live in an unfurnished apartment.

Speaking about the state of the apartment they were left in, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez told reporters back in 2021, as per PEOPLE: "The apartment was in a horrible condition. We saw soiled carpet, no furniture at all. No bedding, no blankets that we could see. We saw roaches and flies and a very bad condition for anyone to live in."

Before her sentencing, Williams had waived her right to a jury trial after pleading guilty to the charges she was facing.

Advert

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues or want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, US Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico.

Featured Image Credit: Harris County Sheriff / YouTube/KHOU 11

Topics: Texas, Crime, Police, Parenting, News, US News

Niamh Shackleton
Niamh Shackleton

Niamh Shackleton is an experienced journalist for UNILAD, specialising in topics including mental health and showbiz, as well as anything Henry Cavill and cat related. She has previously worked for OK! Magazine, Caters and Kennedy.

X

@niamhshackleton

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

6 hours ago
9 hours ago
10 hours ago
11 hours ago
  • 6 hours ago

    Amazon Prime series with near-perfect RT score is labeled 'one of the best' by Stephen King

    The series starring Titus Welliver has been branded 'one of the most underrated TV shows'

    Film & TV
  • 9 hours ago

    People horrified after hearing tech billionaire Peter Thiel’s ‘sociopathic’ response about the future of humanity

    People have been creeped out by how he answered a simple question

    News
  • 10 hours ago

    Doctor issues warning over hidden symptoms of Lyme disease as tick bites near record highs in US states

    Parts of the US have seen a sudden uptick in tick bites

    News
  • 11 hours ago

    ‘World’s top couple’s therapist’ reveals the one surprising behavior in people’s relationships that ‘scares her’

    The psychologist said this one thing in other couples doesn't seem real

    News
  • 11-year-old girl who played dead to escape from 'brother that killed 5 family members' speaks out
  • Missing 5-year-old boy tragically found dead after vanishing while his mom napped
  • Mom allegedly left infant in hot car during 90 degree weather while she went horse riding
  • Mom speaks out in heartbreaking statement after detective son is fatally shot as 14-year-old is charged with murder