Texas mom sentenced to 50 years in prison after forcing her children to live with body of their dead brother for a year

Trigger Warning: This article contains information some people will find distressing.A mom from Texas has finally been sentenced to prison after forcing her children to live with the body of their dead brother.

In what has been described as one of the most harrowing murders in the United States, a woman has been sentenced to 50 years behind bars for her part in the death of her eight-year-old son.

The Harris County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that Gloria Williams, 38, pleaded guilty back in October to two charges of injury to a child in connection with the death of Kendrick Lee at the family’s Houston apartment.

Screenshot 2024-11-17 at 13.16.49.pngGloria Williams. Credit: The Harris County Sheriff’s Department

Earlier this year, her husband, 34-year-old Brian Coulter, was sentenced to life in prison without parole for beating the little boy to death in 2020.

Two of Kendrick’s siblings testified during Coulter’s trial, stating that they saw him beating Kendrick on multiple occasions including the day he died.

After Kendrick had passed, Coulter apparently covered the boy’s body and lay him in the apartment with the rest of his siblings while he and Williams moved out and into a different apartment, per the release.

GettyImages-2148985915.jpgCoulter was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Credit: Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle/Getty

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez explained that Williams’ 15-year-old son eventually called the police in October 2021 to report that their younger brother “had been dead for a year and his body was in the room next to his”.

When the authorities arrived, they were shocked by the conditions the children had been living in.

“The apartment was in a horrible condition. We saw soiled carpet, and 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,” Gonzalez said at the time.

Lieutenant Dennis Wilford described Coulter as “manipulative” but still added that Williams took part in the death of her child.

“We expect parents to protect their children, not hurt them, because children really are our most vulnerable victims,” Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said in a release. “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.”

GettyImages-2184400852.jpgWilliams pleaded guilty for her involvement in the death of her son. Credit: Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle/Getty

However, as part of her plea deal, the 38-year-old requested that her kids don’t have to recall the incident again.

“By pleading guilty and waiving the right to a jury trial, the defendant finally acted like a protective mother,” said prosecutor Edward A. Appelbaum. “For one day of her children’s lives, she was a good mother.”

Williams will have to serve at least half her sentence before she will be eligible for parole, according to PEOPLE.

If you believe a child could be at risk, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

Featured Image Credit: Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle/Getty

Texas mom sentenced to 50 years behind bars after forcing her children to live with body of their dead brother for a year

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By Nasima Khatun

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Trigger Warning: This article will contain details about child abuse.A mom from Texas has finally been sentenced to prison after forcing her children to live with the body of their dead brother.

In what has been described as one of the most harrowing murders in the United States, a woman has been sentenced to 50 years behind bars for her part in the death of her eight-year-old son.

The Harris County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that Gloria Williams, 38, pleaded guilty back in October to two charges of injury to a child in connection with the death of Kendrick Lee at the family’s Houston apartment.

Screenshot 2024-11-17 at 13.16.49.pngGloria Williams. Credit: The Harris County Sheriff’s Department

Earlier this year, her husband, 34-year-old Brian Coulter, was sentenced to life in prison without parole for beating the little boy to death in 2020.

Two of Kendrick’s siblings testified during Coulter’s trial, stating that they saw him beating Kendrick on multiple occasions including the day he died.

After Kendrick had passed, Coulter apparently covered the boy’s body and lay him in the apartment with the rest of his siblings while he and Williams moved out and into a different apartment, per the release.

GettyImages-2148985915.jpgCoulter was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Credit: Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle/Getty

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez explained that Williams’ 15-year-old son eventually called the police in October 2021 to report that their younger brother “had been dead for a year and his body was in the room next to his”.

When the authorities arrived, they were shocked by the conditions the children had been living in.

“The apartment was in a horrible condition. We saw soiled carpet, and 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,” Gonzalez said at the time.

Lieutenant Dennis Wilford described Coulter as “manipulative” but still added that Williams took part in the death of her child.

“We expect parents to protect their children, not hurt them, because children really are our most vulnerable victims,” Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said in a release. “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.”

GettyImages-2184400852.jpgWilliams pleaded guilty for her involvement in the death of her son. Credit: Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle/Getty

However, as part of her plea deal, the 38-year-old requested that her kids don’t have to recall the incident again.

“By pleading guilty and waiving the right to a jury trial, the defendant finally acted like a protective mother,” said prosecutor Edward A. Appelbaum. “For one day of her children’s lives, she was a good mother.”

Williams will have to serve at least half her sentence before she will be eligible for parole, according to PEOPLE.

If you believe a child could be at risk, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

Featured Image Credit: Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle/Getty

College student, 19, suffers fatal allergic reaction after being given brownie by friend

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By Nasima Khatun

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A college student from Wisconsin has suffered a fatal allergic reaction after being given a brownie.

resize (22).webpHannah Glass, 19, died after consuming a brownie. Credit: WISN 12 (YouTube)

Hannah Glass, 19, became severely ill after consuming a “gluten-free brownie” that sent her into anaphylactic shock, according to her family.

The teenager, who suffered from a severe peanut allergy, was given a brownie at Maranatha Baptist University by a women’s group that contained roasted peanut flour.

Speaking to WISN12, her father, David Glass, recalled the moment he realized something was wrong with his daughter.

GettyImages-92196342.jpgHannah consumed a brownie containing roasted peanut flour. Credit: Photo by Brian T. Evans/Getty

“The second bite, she knew something was wrong,” he recalled, noting that Hannah started breaking out in hives and vomiting. “We believe because this product contained roasted peanut flour, separate from oily peanut butter, that masked this.”

The freshman contacted her family as soon as it happened, stating that this did not feel like any other previous reactions she’d suffered as a child.

The situation took a turn for the worse after Hannah took some Benadryl and laid down on her stomach leading her to experience shortness of breath, discomfort, a collapsed lung, and eventually, she lost consciousness altogether.

Her parents rushed down to the campus to help her, but even after administering her EpiPen, Hannah remained unresponsive.

The emergency services were called to the scene before they started administering life-saving aid to the teenager, but it seemed to be no use.

Taking to Facebook, the family released a lengthy statement detailing their heartbreaking ordeal.

“[The doctor] told us that she began having seizures between Watertown and Froedtert,” the statement posted to Hannah’s personal Facebook account read. “This was an indication that her brain was severely damaged.

“Without getting into every detail of the next five days, it is easy enough to say that we were informed that the situation was bleak, but due to her age and good health, she was definitely going to be given every available opportunity and option to save her life.”

However, during that time, the family received some terrible news.

“The majority of her brain was unmistakably, seriously, critically, and without the life-sustaining measures in place, TERMINALLY damaged. There were no conversations about quality of life or anything like that. This was only life and death,” the statement continued.

So the family made a difficult choice and stated – that despite losing their loved one – Hannah’s story did have a silver lining.

“At this point, there was no actual decision to be made, except that we decided to donate her body to help others have the chance at life that she no longer had and to prevent other parents or loved ones from having to endure the torture that we had over the previous week,” Hannah’s loved ones said.

“We suffered here, but she was and will forever remain free and others have a chance to live! We are blessed,” the post concluded.

Hannah’s heartbroken parents took their daughter off life support on November 10 – five days after Hannah had initially consumed the brownie – and have used this tragedy to help prevent others from suffering the same fate.

In the wake of the incident, hundreds of family members, friends, and medical staff lined the hallways of Froedtert Hospital for an emotional ‘Honor Walk’ as Hannah was wheeled into surgery for her organs to be donated.

CBS58 reported that the 19-year-old’s primary organs have since saved four lives.

It is estimated that 1 in every 3000 inpatients in US hospitals suffers from an anaphylactic reaction according to the JAMA Medical Network. Furthermore, the risk of death among those who suffer a reaction has been estimated to be about 1%, with as many as 500 to 1000 deaths annually.]

Our thoughts go out to Hannah’s family and loved ones at this time.

Featured Image Credit: GMVozd/Getty

Harrowing footage of 70-year-old man with bone cancer being slammed to the ground by Oklahoma police officer accused of using ‘excessive force’

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By Asiya Ali

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Warning: This article may contain some distressing information.Chilling footage has circulated online showing a 70-year-old man with bone cancer being slammed to the ground by an Oklahoma police officer.

The city’s police department released body-camera footage from October 27 that shows a police officer arresting Lich Vu after pulling him over during a traffic stop.

Watch the video below:

The cop, identified as Joseph Gibson by USA Today, pulled the elderly man over for an illegal U-turn on the NW 39th Expressway.

The start of the harrowing video reveals Vu, who is sitting in his car with his wife, talking with Gibson. “I didn’t U-turn,” he says, to which Gibson then asks the man to sign a citation for an improper U-turn.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Vu replies, adding that another driver hit his car. “Me? Citation? She hit me and I got the citation?” he says, before he gets out of the car and gestures to explain the situation to the cop, who then says they are “done arguing about this”.

Vu responded: “I want to show you,” and Gibson replied: “We argue in court… If you don’t sign this, you go to jail.”

“I’m ready to go to jail,” the man hit back, so Gibson asks him: “You’re ready to go to jail? Ridiculous.” He proceeded to head over to the other driver involved in the incident and gave her a ticket before returning to Vu.

Lich Vu Lich Vu was arrested after arguing with the police. Credit: Oklahoma City Police Department

The men continued to bicker back and forth about the road incident until Vu seemingly tapped Gibson’s chest with the back of his hand. He then brings his finger up to his mouth and says: “You shut up.”

The police officer then grabbed the old man’s arm and twisted it behind him before pinning him to the ground.

Another shocking surveillance footage angle from nearby shops revealed the 70-year-old’s head appearing to forcefully hit the ground as the cop put handcuffs on him.

According to KFOR, Vu, who has bone cancer, ended up suffering a brain bleed and had to undergo surgery due to the harsh arrest. He has remained in the hospital and is “in and out of consciousness, but stable,” his family members revealed to the publication.

Thuan Nguyen, president of the Vietnamese American Community of Oklahoma, has called for Gibson to be fired from the police department.

“We don’t want our police department nor our [district attorney] to take it lightly. We want justice to be served,” Nguyen told NBC. “We are always the last to be heard … so no matter whether we’re the person that is at fault or not at fault, our statements are always last … And so in certain cases, that indicates implicit bias.”

Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Police Department disclosed on Facebook that “an investigation was immediately initiated and the officer was placed on administrative leave pending the conclusion of the investigation”.

“The Oklahoma City police department is dedicated to transparency and accountability. We want our community to know that this case is being thoroughly investigated, and the review process will take time to complete,” they added.

Featured image credit: Douglas Sacha / Getty

Oklahoma man, 31, loses both legs following frisbee injury that nearly cost him his life

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By James Kay

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A 31-year-old Oklahoma man suffered a minor injury that quickly developed into him losing both legs.

In October of last year, Dylan Riley was playing frisbee golf with friends on a bright Oklahoma City day when a small misstep changed his life forever, as reported by People.

After his disc rolled into the road, Riley, 31, tripped as he went to retrieve it, cutting his knee.

He brushed it off, calling himself “a klutz,” not knowing this seemingly minor injury would soon lead to a life-threatening health crisis.

Two weeks later, Riley woke up feeling achy and feverish, with symptoms like vomiting and chills. Thinking he had the flu, he took a hot bath to ease the symptoms, but upon stepping out, found he couldn’t move.

He screamed for his roommate, who immediately called an ambulance. The next thing Riley remembers is paramedics speaking to him – before he blacked out completely.

When Riley reached Baptist Integris Hospital, doctors diagnosed him with streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, a severe, life-threatening infection.

“He came into our hospital severely sick, on death’s doorstep practically,” said Dr. Bob Schoaps, Medical Director for Specialty Critical Care and Acute Mechanical Circulatory Support at Integris Health.

According to Schoaps, streptococcus, the bacteria responsible for common strep throat, had entered Riley’s bloodstream, triggering toxic shock.

As his organs began to fail, Riley’s heart stopped twice, and doctors fought to revive him.

“If Dylan would’ve stayed home a couple more hours, it’s very likely he would not have survived,” Schoaps said. “With his level of illness, we estimate his survival chances at 10% or less.”

Riley’s mother, Trina White, who works as an infectious disease nurse, was devastated. Recalling the hospital staff’s suggestion of life support, she said: “As a mother, it’s your worst nightmare. I said, ‘Do what you have to do and save my son.’”

To save Riley, doctors put him on a veno-arterial ECMO machine, which kept his heart and lungs functioning but restricted blood flow to his limbs.

As a result, Riley’s extremities, deprived of oxygen, began to die, and doctors warned his family that he might require amputations.

When Riley regained consciousness days later, his mother began preparing him for the worst, explaining that the machine had saved his life but cost him significant tissue loss.

“I told him no matter what, we still loved him,” she said. At first, White worried her son might resent the decision that ultimately led to his limb loss, but her fears eased when Riley reassured her: “Mom, it doesn’t matter. The main thing is I’m still here.”

As he waited for amputation surgery, Riley dealt with painful side effects, like peeling skin and a loss of taste.

Yet he remained resilient, often making jokes to lighten the mood, especially as doctors prepared him for the leg amputations that would be scheduled just before Christmas.

After surgery, Riley shared a picture of his newly bandaged legs, jokingly comparing himself to the legless Gingerbread Man from the movie Shrek.

“I always had a really dark sense of humor,” he said.

In January, Riley’s hands were partially amputated. Surgeons were able to save part of his right palm and portions of his fingers, allowing him to maintain some functionality.

“I can still grab a pencil and write,” he said. “But I can’t hold power tools like I used to.”

In May, Riley received prosthetic legs through the Limbs for Life Foundation and immediately began rehab, determined to adapt quickly to his new life.

“I didn’t want to be one of those people where everyone feels bad for me,” Riley said. “I wanted to prove people wrong.”

Featured image credit: Dylan Riley / Facebook

Donald Trump reveals what he and Joe Biden spoke about during their White House meeting

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By Nasima Khatun

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Donald Trump has revealed what he and Joe Biden spoke about during their White House meeting amid the switch of power.

Following an intense election night on November 6 against Kamala Harris, it has been confirmed that the former business tycoon will be taking up his second term in office as the nation’s 47th President of the United States.

Trump managed to secure over 50 percent of the votes compared to Harris’ 47.6 percent, though many critics have spoken out against the win, including celebrities and other politicians alike.

Regardless, the 78-year-old will take his seat in the Oval Office early next year after his inauguration on January 20.

GettyImages-2180589131.jpgTrump will be the nation’s 47th President. Credit: Anna Moneymaker/Getty

Before the day came around, Trump decided to meet up with the current President of the United States, Joe Biden, to ensure a smooth transition of power.

Speaking to The New York Post, the President-Elect gave us an insight into their conversation.

“You know, it’s been a long, it’s been a long slog,” he said during a phone interview with the outlet as he left Washington. “It’s been a lot of work on both sides and he did a very good job with respect to campaigning and everything else. We really had a really good meeting.”

Trump noted that the pair had a great time “[getting] to know each other again.”

GettyImages-2183984486.jpgTrump met up with Biden in Washington. Credit: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post/Getty

In front of a sea of press, Biden told his successor that January’s inauguration will be “as smooth as can be.”

Trump also used the same word to describe the process of picking officials for his second term.

“It’s going very smoothly,” he said before adding that the Republican transition team and the Biden White House enjoy a “very, very good relationship.”

The pair went on to discuss other massive topics such as the war in Ukraine as well as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

“I wanted — I asked for his views and he gave them to me,” Trump revealed to the outlet. “Also, we talked very much about the Middle East, likewise I wanted to know his views on where we are and what he thinks. And he gave them to me, he was very gracious.”

GettyImages-2183984431.jpgThe pair discussed topics like the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Credit: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post/Getty

He also added that this would not be the pair’s last meeting as they are planning on seeing each other again just before the big day in January.

“The Oval Office is so beautiful and I do certainly look forward [to coming back],” he said.

“We’ll have that very, very nice meeting that takes place between two presidents sometime prior. You know, that takes place just prior to going in. So we’ll have that. But this was a very enjoyable meeting,” Trump added.

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