A Fort Worth jury yesterday sentenced 24-year-old Alfred Williams to 60 years in prison after finding him guilty of murder in the death of a 4-month-old boy who was discovered unresponsive in a south Fort Worth apartment. Prosecutors said Williams admitted to squeezing, shaking, and throwing the infant while he was supposed to be caring for him, and medical teams were unable to save the child. Responding officers were first called to the apartment on Feb. 16, 2023, and investigators later said the baby had suffered blunt-force injuries that included a brain bleed and a fractured spine.
In a post from the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office, prosecutors said Williams admitted to "squeezing, shaking and throwing" the infant and that officers found the baby with multiple blunt-force injuries when they arrived. The office identified Assistant District Attorneys Charlie Boulware and Steven Elliott as the lead prosecutors and credited Investigator Matt Hardy and victim coordinator Carma Anderson for their work on the case. The statement also thanked the Fort Worth Police Department for its role and for what the office described as a commitment to keeping the community safe.
How Prosecutors Say The Injuries Happened
Courtroom testimony described a night that spiraled from an infant's crying to lethal violence, according to reporting by Law&Crime. Williams became frustrated with the crying, picked the baby up and squeezed him, fracturing two small ribs, then tossed the child into the arm of a couch so that the baby hit a wall, the outlet reported. A pathologist told jurors that the combination of blunt-force trauma caused a severe brain bleed and a spinal fracture, and that medical staff at Cook Children's Hospital were unable to revive the infant. An 11-year-old half brother who was in the apartment unit that night gave investigators an account of what he saw and heard before the baby was found unresponsive, according to the same reporting.
Sentence, Charges And Legal Notes
The jury convicted Williams of murder and set his punishment at 60 years in prison. Authorities had initially arrested him on a charge of injury to a child with serious bodily injury, and prosecutors later secured a murder indictment. During deliberations, jurors were allowed to consider lesser-included offenses before landing on the murder conviction. Court records are expected to reflect the formal sentencing order and any future motions or filings that might be made in the case.
Why The Case Matters Locally
Child welfare advocates say this case lands in the middle of a troubling statewide pattern. Investigative reviews have found that children in Texas continue to die from abuse and neglect, while critics argue that policy and service changes have left some families without critical support, according to reporting by Texas Public Radio. On the national level, data from the U.S. Children's Bureau show that infants under 1 year old are disproportionately represented in child maltreatment fatalities, as detailed in the federal Child Maltreatment report. The district attorney's office said victim services staff are working with the child's family as the legal process continues.
Prosecutors and victim services personnel said they plan to continue supporting the family while any remaining legal steps play out. The court docket and formal sentencing paperwork will serve as the official record of the judgment, including the 60-year term and any appeals that might follow.
