On the afternoon of July 16, 2005, the day 5-year-old Talia Williams died, her father, former Schofield Barracks Spc. Naeem Williams, inflicted body blows on his daughter and whipped her with a belt for urinating on herself, Delilah Williams, Naeem’s wife, says in federal court documents.
Delilah Williams, 29, Talia’s stepmother, is scheduled to testify Friday in U.S. District Court in the capital murder trial of her husband.
Naeem Williams, 34, is facing the death penalty under federal law for killing a child through child abuse or as part of a practice and pattern of abuse and torture.
There is no capital punishment in Hawaii law.
Delilah Williams pleaded guilty to murder in December 2006 in exchange for a 20-year prison term. She was facing the possibility of spending the rest of her life behind bars for participating in the abuse that lead to Talia’s death. Her plea deal requires her to cooperate with the government, including testifying against her husband.
U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright unsealed Thursday portions of Delilah Williams’ plea agreement that had been under seal since her guilty plea in 2006.
In the plea agreement, Williams says that after the body blows and belt whips, she saw Talia walking backward out of her bedroom with her hands in a defensive position, trying to ward off additional blows. She says she also heard her say, "No, Daddy."
She says her husband responded to his daughter’s plea by telling Talia to come to him. Soon after that, she said, she heard her husband raise his voice and strike Talia, followed by a thump, which she believes was Talia’s head hitting the floor.
Delilah Williams says in the plea document that she and her husband knew that Talia was in need of immediate medical attention. But instead of calling for help, they made plans for the custody of their 4 1/2-month-old daughter and concocted a false story to explain how Talia was injured.
She said her husband also took time to remove bloodstains from the walls and floors of their Wheeler Army Airfield housing unit which were the result of the beatings they both inflicted on Talia. She said she and her husband waited for more than an hour before seeking medical assistance for Talia.
Delilah Williams says they regularly beat Talia with a belt and a plastic ruler they called "Mr. Paddle," for soiling herself.
Talia’s mother, Tarshia Williams, testified Wednesday that her daughter had medical issues, including lack of bladder and bowel control, and developmental delays because she was born premature.
Delilah Williams said that on separate occasions she and her husband each beat Talia with a belt after binding the girl to a bedpost using duct tape. She said her husband also put duct tape over Talia’s eyes and mouth.
On other occasions, Delilah Williams said, her husband forced Talia to do exercises, like squatting, walking and quacking like a duck. If Talia was unable to do the exercises, she said her husband whipped the girl with a belt.
She said the two of them also deprived Talia of food, up to two days at a time. That made Talia less able to do the exercises.
Delilah Williams said her husband told her more than once that Talia would listen to them if he gave her one good punch and saw him punch Talia in the stomach.
She admits in her plea agreement that the beatings took a toll on Talia as her stepdaughter began to soil herself more frequently, which led to more beatings and also resulted in multiple rib fractures, head and internal injuries, especially to her intestines. She also admits to pulling on Talia’s hair so hard more than once that clumps came out of her scalp.
Delilah Williams said that the last time she struck Talia was on June 29 when she stomped on her, pulled her by her hair and slammed her against the wall.
According to testimony, on that date a neighbor called military police because of yelling. When military police arrived, Naeem Williams said Talia’s injuries were caused by another child and a fall.
