A Georgia mother has been sentenced to life in prison for fatally beating her 4-year-old son, allegedly due to his struggles with toilet training, as stated by prosecutors. She will spend the rest of her life behind bars.

Sophia Williams, aged 43, received the life sentence without parole after her conviction in August for charges including malice murder, felony murder, child cruelty, and aggravated battery, according to the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office.

Hailing from Decatur, Williams was found guilty of causing the death of her son, Anthony Vice, in March 2022.

Prosecutors from DeKalb County shared in a press release that “Williams had confessed to authorities that Anthony was not yet potty trained.” She admitted to using various objects like her hand, a slipper, a purse strap, and a charging cord to discipline him whenever he failed to use the toilet properly.

On the tragic day of Anthony’s passing, a 13-year-old residing in the household reported that Williams had punished Anthony for not using the bathroom. Williams also claimed the boy had accidentally injured his head the previous week, denying responsibility for his injuries.

The 13-year-old told police that Anthony “appeared to be dizzy” and fell to the floor after being pummeled by Williams.

“The defendant placed Anthony on her bed and threw water on him,” the DA’s office says. “He revived momentarily, but became unresponsive again. His only movements throughout the night were reflexive, his arm jerking and his leg kicking.”

Williams searched on her phone for phrases such as “remedy for concussion” and “coma – symptoms and causes” before eventually falling asleep. She woke up around 5 a.m. to Anthony making a “low grunting sound” and his body “completely limp.”

Prosecutors say Williams noticed that Anthony stopped breathing and she initially called his father, then 911.

“Williams told officers that she did not want to call for help because of the bruises on Anthony’s body,” the DA’s office says. “An autopsy showed that Anthony’s cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, and it is likely he would have survived if Williams had sought medical care when she first observed the signs of Anthony’s head injury.”

DeKalb County Assistant District Attorney Sarah Hillren described the severity of Williams’ assault on Anthony at her sentencing Tuesday. The judge who sentenced Williams called Anthony’s death one of the most gruesome crimes she’s ever seen, according to local ABC affiliate WSB.

“Because the conduct alleged was so heinous, so cruel, it is the state’s position that she should not be permitted to live out any portion of her life in the community,” Hillren concluded before the judge handed down her sentence.