PALMDALE – A Palmdale mother and her boyfriend have pleaded not guilty in the torture death of her 2-year-old son.
Rosie Lee Wilson, 21, and Brandon Jerel Williams, 25, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to murder, assault on a child causing death and torture in connection with the death of Wilson’s son, Anthony.
After clinging to life for 41 days, Anthony Lee Wilson died at Children’s Hospital on Oct. 5, 2014, a week after his second birthday.
Anthony suffered great bodily injury between June and August of last year, while he was living with Wilson and Williams on 26th Street East in Palmdale, according to Deputy District Attorney Theodore Swanson.
The toddler was severely beaten on Aug. 21, the prosecutor said.
A friend of the couple said Wilson took her son to the hospital and said the baby slipped and fell. When older bruises were discovered, Williams admitted to punching the child, claims the friend, who asked not to be identified.
Williams was arrested around 8:22 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22, and Wilson was arrested about five hours later, according to LASD inmate records.
Williams was initially charged with attempted murder, child assault, torture and mayhem, while Wilson initially faced charges of child abuse, child assault, torture and mayhem.
When Anthony died in October, charges against the couple were upgraded to include murder.
After pleading not guilty to all charges Tuesday, they were ordered to appear in court on Feb. 5 for a preliminary hearing. At the conclusion of that hearing, a judge will determine if there is enough evidence against the couple for the case to go to trial.
Each remains jailed on $2 million bail.
If convicted as charged, Williams and Wilson face maximum sentences of life in prison.
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Previous related stories:
Palmdale couple charged with death of toddler
Tortured Palmdale toddler dies, amended charges expected
Couple charged with torture, mayhem for beating toddler
john says
What could possibly the kid do to be beaten? It’s a child, it suppose to do things a child do. This kind of people should be punished! Please do a follow up regarding this case, we’d like to be updated. Thanks!
I cant stand stupid people says
This sick and twisted bi*!%h. I hope she is tortured in prison…even though that still won’t be enough. She was always a horrible mom. Her family isnt much better on drugs and what else. They sat back and allowed her to abuse both her kids. She talked to them like they were people in the streeets. She mentally and viberally abused both these kids since they were each born. R.I.P Baby Anthony
j says
If you KNEW all this, why didnt u say anything? So sad! May that baby rest in peace
I cant stand stupid people says
Ummm…How do you I didn’t? Trust and believe she didnt have an open case for nothing.
She comes from scum…her and her family are scum.
onlyGodknows says
How do u know about her family being scums? Have u ever met em? Well don’t judge the family if u donno what they’re going thru. Imagine if it was a family member of urs doin some dumb crap (maybe similar), and some stranger said that family is scums. Practice before u preach. Yes I’m a friend of the family. TBT that the family was shocked to find out all this in a heartbreaking unexpected situation. As for Rosie she didn’t want to listen to her family for the right reasons, because she wanna go do her own thing. If she listened to her family then none of this criticism and judgmental wouldn’t happened. Don’t judge unless u know the truth! I’m not judging, but let God be the judge of them. Wash ur hands nd let God do the rest.
sad says
The family of Gabriel Ferandez knew what the mother was doing to him and informed authorites and social services, poor Gabriel died any way. The system doesn’t always work the way we think it should.