1-year-old living in bug-infested basement with no running water dies after eating feces-filled diaper: Police

Alexandrae Price and Deavan Williams, both 22, are facing criminal charges after her son allegedly died while in his boyfriend’s care, authorities say

NEED TO KNOW

  • A one-year-old Kentucky boy who lived in a walkout basement contaminated with animal feces and urine died after he choked on a diaper filled with feces, police allege
  • His mother’s boyfriend told authorities he fell asleep when the boy fell unconscious after eating the diaper, police say
  • The boy’s mother and boyfriend used an outdoor garden house to bathe him since the house has no running water, a warrant reportedly says

A one-year-old Kentucky boy who lived in a filthy, bug-filled basement with no running water died after allegedly choking on a feces-filled diaper — and now his mother’s boyfriend is charged with murder in connection to his death.

On Monday, August 3, detectives with the Allen County–Scottsville Criminal Investigations Division obtained an arrest warrant charging Deavan Williams, 22, with murder in connection with the death of one-year-old Mason Moulding, the Scottsville Police Department said in a statement.

He was initially arrested on July 27 and charged with first-degree child abuse of a child under 12.

Williams’ girlfriend, Alexandrae Price, 22, the boy’s mother, was arrested on July 27 and charged with child abuse, according to online court records.

The situation came to light at 10 p.m. on July 27 when police responded to a report that Price’s son had been rushed to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead with “suspicious trauma, including mouth bleeding and body bruising,” the arrest warrant says, per LEX News, Fox 56 and K105.

Williams was taking care of the boy while Price was at work when the boy fell unconscious after eating a feces-filled diaper inside of his playpen, according to the warrant.

Williams told police he fell asleep while the baby “consumed portions of a feces-contaminated diaper” and choked.

Investigators say they found signs of ongoing neglect.

“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 warrant said, LEX News reports.

According to police, Williams said he and Price used an outdoor garden house to bathe the boy 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,” LEX News reports.

“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 warrant reportedly says.

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Williams also admitted to 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,” per the warrant.

According to the warrant, the child was kept in a playpen in an environment contaminated by animal urine, animal feces, raw sewage, decomposing animals, and other hazardous conditions that Williams personally described as containing pathogens and parasites.

On July 31, Allen County Animal Control responded to the residence on Cottage Drive and removed a total of 3 dogs, 12 cats, and 1 opossum from the home, police said.

Most of the animals reportedly showed severe signs of neglect, and several are in such poor condition that euthanasia will be necessary.

Williams and Price are both scheduled to appear in Allen County District Court on Wed., Aug. 12.

It is unclear whether they have retained attorneys who can speak on their behalf.

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