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Talia Emoni Williams' abuse was reported shortly after she went to live with her father.
A medical expert testifying on behalf of accused child killer Naeem Williams told a federal jury Friday morning that the former Schofield Barracks soldier’s 5-year-old daughter Talia died from injuries suffered weeks before her death on July 16, 2005 and not from any injury Williams inflicted on the last day of the girl’s life.
Pediatric forensic pathologist Janice Ophoven said Talia died from complications of blunt force trauma to her head, chest and abdomen that occurred weeks before she died.
"She did not suffer fatal injuries on the day of death," Ophoven said.
Williams, 34, is on trial in U.S. District Court for capital murder for the child abuse beating death of Talia. He is facing the death penalty for causing the death of a child through child abuse or as part of a practice and pattern of assault and torture.
He had previously testified that on the day of Talia’s death he hit his daughter in the back causing her to fall and hit her head on the floor of his Wheeler Army Airfield family quarters. He said Talia never got up from the fall and later died.
Williams’ wife Delilah has testified that she stomped on her stepdaughter and smashed Talia’s head into a wall on June 29, 2005.
She pleaded guilty in December 2006 to killing Talia as part of a practice and pattern of assault and torture in a deal with the government in exchange for a 20-year prison term. She was facing spending the rest of her life in prison.
