ALLEN COUNTY, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — A 22-year-old Allen County man who was originally arrested for criminal abuse in the first-degree is now facing murder charges after a one-year-old boy allegedly died in his care due to ongoing child abuse and neglect, an arrest warrant filed with Allen County District Court details.
As LEX News previously reported, 22-year-old Alexandrae Price and 22-year-old Deavan Williams were both arrested on July 27 by the Allen County Sheriff's Office at their home on Cottage Drive in Scottsville, and they were both charged with criminal abuse in the first degree of a child under the age of 12 years old. Court documents detail that Williams and Price were in a relationship at the time of the arrest.
Crime
Death investigation of 1-year-old in Allen County leads to arrest of 2 people
According to an arrest citation filed by the Allen County Sheriff's Office for Williams, authorities were dispatched to the couple's home around 10 p.m. on July 27 to the report that Price's one-year-old son was transported to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead with "suspicious trauma, including mouth bleeding and body bruising."
The arrest citation then states that Williams, who was Price's boyfriend, was living at the home and taking care of the child while Price was at work. The child reportedly became unconscious after eating a feces-filled diaper inside of his playpen under Williams' care.
"A physical inspection and interviews revealed Williams knowingly subjected the child under twelve to extreme endangerment and cruel punishment, residing in an un-air-conditioned garage filled with trash, beer cans, soiled diapers, and heavy cat urine, where the infant's playpen sat directly on the contaminated floor," the citation states.
According to the document, Williams admitted that the couple bathed the baby outdoors with a garden hose, and that he was "surprised the baby did not have parasites due to the filth, and that he knew the baby had been eating a feces-filled diaper inside the playpen prior to becoming unresponsive."
An arrest warrant filed for Price adds additional details to the alleged child abuse and neglect the one-year-old endured. For instance, the citation states that the child was living on the lower level of the residence, a walkout basement, and that the house had a lack of running water, so Price and Williams would use the garden hose as a water source.
"Price also stated that the living area had flies and spiders. A large amount of trash and debris was also found in the living area, posing significant health hazards. The living area was also reported to have high moisture levels and poor ventilation, posing a health hazard," the arrest citation states.
On August 3, Allen County District Court served an arrest warrant against Williams for murder charges. According to the document filed by officer Ryan Dillion with the Scottsville Police Department, authorities believe that Williams wantonly caused serious physical injury to the child, resulting in their death.
The arrest warrant adds additional details about the day leading up to the child's death. According to the document, on July 27, the child was last seen alive while at the grocery store with his mother in the afternoon. Price later went to work and the child was left in Williams' care.
"Williams admitted that he was [the child's] primary caregiver and the only adult supervising [the child] during the time period immediately preceding the child's collapse," the arrest warrant states.
According to the document, Williams claimed that he fell asleep while the child was in his care before the child "consumed portions of a feces-contaminated diaper" and choked. Williams also admitted to allegedly committing dangerous and abusive behavior towards the child, "including intentionally feeding him extremely spicy foods despite Alexandrae Price telling him to stop... and acknowledging that the child routinely consumed diapers, couch cushions, and other unsafe objects."
The court document further states that Williams provided additional details regarding the "hazardous" home the child lived in, "[the child] lived and remained in a playpen with an environment contained by animal urine, animal feces, raw sewage, decomposing animals, and other hazardous conditions that Williams personally described as containing pathogens and parasites."
Williams' arrest warrant also details findings from the medical examiner's office, including traumatic injuries and other bodily injuries the suspect allegedly caused.
"I believe there is probable cause to believe that Deavan Williams committed the offense of Wanton Murder, and I respectfully request that a warrant be issued for his arrest," Dillion wrote at the end of the document.
On Saturday, the Scottsville Police Department released a statement due to the ongoing investigation, stating that authorities are moving forward with the case, preparing additional search warrants and interview statements. According to the press release, additional charges are possible in the future for the case.
The Scottsville Police Department is urging residents with information on the one-year-old's alleged murder to report those findings to authorities.
Both Williams and Price are expected to appear in court for their preliminary hearing on Wednesday, Aug. 12 at 2 p.m. in Allen County District Court.
Read the full statement by the Scottsville Police Department below:
"The Allen County–Scottsville Criminal Investigations Division would like to provide an update regarding the ongoing investigation into the death of [a 1-year-old child].
We are still awaiting the complete Medical Examiner’s report. We appreciate the Medical Examiner’s Office and the thorough, professional work they perform in cases of this nature. Their attention to detail is important, and we appreciate the time and care they put into providing investigators with complete and accurate findings.
This remains a very active investigation. Detectives are awaiting returns from previously executed search warrants, additional search warrants are being prepared, witness interviews remain ongoing, and evidence continues to be reviewed as it is received. Additional charges remain possible, and we continue to consult with the Allen County Attorney’s Office and Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office throughout this investigation.
We understand the community wants answers. This is not the movies or television. Nothing moves fast in an investigation of this magnitude. Evidence must be collected, analyzed, verified, and documented, and some results simply take time. Our responsibility is to get it right, not rush the process.
We would also like to thank Allen County Coroner Darren Davis for his continued assistance and cooperation, as well as detectives with the Bowling Green Police Department for assisting our investigators with the processing of digital evidence, including cellular phones. Cooperation between agencies continues to be an important part of this investigation and we are very thankful for BGPD’s assistance.
Anyone with firsthand information is encouraged to contact investigators directly rather than simply posting information online. Information provided to law enforcement can be documented, evaluated, and corroborated. Our focus remains on following the evidence, protecting the integrity of this investigation, and seeking justice for [the child].
The preliminary hearing is currently scheduled for Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. in Allen County District Court. Court dates and times are subject to change."
-Scottsville Police Department
