Mother Who Beat Her 4-Year-Old Son Because He Wasn't Potty Trained Sentenced to Life for His Death By Charna Flam

A Georgia woman has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of her 4-year-old son, Anthony Vice.

Sophia Williams, 43, was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, plus 10 years, DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced in a Wednesday, Dec.10 news release.

The sentence comes roughly four months after Williams was convicted in August of one count of Malice Murder, two counts of Felony Murder, four counts of Cruelty to Children in the First Degree, and three counts of Aggravated Battery in connection with Anthony’s murder.

The child was found unresponsive and “without a heartbeat” on the living room floor of an apartment on March 6, 2022. As first responders administered aid, they noticed “new and old bruising over the child’s entire body,” per the news release. 

Anthony was transported to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, where he was later pronounced dead. 

Related Stories

Mom and Her Boyfriend Allegedly Killed 3-Year-Old to ‘Make Room’ For Baby of Their Own: Prosecutor

Convicted Child Abuser Kills 2-Year-Old While Babysitting, Seriously Injures Boy’s Twin Sister: Police

Before Williams’ conviction, she told officers that her son was not potty trained, and when he did not listen to her or use the toilet, she would discipline him “by striking him with her hand, a house slipper, a purse strap, and a charging cord.” 

The mother also claimed that Vice “accidentally hit his head the week before, stating that she was not responsible for any head injuries.”

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.          

A 13-year-old child who was in the home with Williams and Anthony on March 5, 2022, said Williams “whooped” Anthony that day, when he “appeared to be dizzy and fell to the floor, unresponsive,” according to the news release.

Williams then moved Anthony to her bed and threw water at him, waking him only for a brief moment. He remained unresponsive throughout the night and only made small, reflexive movements. Williams searched phrases such as “remedy for concussion” and “Coma – symptoms and causes,” on her phone, the D.A. said.

When Williams woke up around 5 a.m. on March 6, 2022, Anthony was “completely limp,” and “making a low grunting sound,” according to the D.A.’s release. She then felt him stop breathing. At 5:38 a.m., she called his father and reported that their child was not breathing. 

At 6:26 a.m., she called 911. She later told officers she did not want to call authorities because of the bruises on the boy’s body.

An autopsy later found that Anthony’s cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. It was later determined that he could have survived if Williams had sought medical care when she first noticed the child had signs of a head injury.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.