REGJANAE WILLIAMS - 13 months (2008) - Allen County IN

Julianna Williams neglected her children, but not in such a way that
it caused the June 2008 death of her 13-month old daughter, according
to a judge’s ruling Thursday.Allen Superior Court Judge
John Surbeck acquitted the 29-year-old Williams of the most serious
charge against her – neglect of a dependent causing death – at the
conclusion of her two-day trial.The judge found her
guilty of a lesser count of neglect of a dependent, believing that the
environment in the small apartment shared by Williams and her mother,
Rosalie Ford, endangered the life of Williams’ four children.But that environment did not connect to the morphine overdose death of Regjanae Williams, the judge ruled. The toddler died in June 2008 after being taken to Parkview Hospital in full cardiac arrest. Williams
told police and paramedics she had lain down for a nap with Regjanae
and when she awoke early that evening, the baby was limp and had blue
lips, according to court documents and testimony.Either Williams or Ford immediately called 911 after the baby’s condition was discovered.The
baby’s death was originally believed to be caused by accidental
asphyxiation, but after a toxicology report found Regjanae’s blood and
urine contained levels of morphine that could have been fatal to
adults, the death was ruled a homicide.Prosecutors
accused Williams of leaving her children alone with Ford after it was
known that Ford abused and mishandled prescription medication. Ford faces the same charges as her daughter in the death of Regjanae and in the care of the children generally.Despite
the high levels of morphine found in the baby’s system, no morphine or
loose pills were found in the apartment, neither during a relatively
brief initial search nor a more detailed search about a week later,
according to testimony.In 2005, one of Williams’ other
children, then 9 months old, was hospitalized after he ingested
medication while staying with Ford. While that incident proved Williams
was neglectful in placing her children in that environment, there was
no evidence connecting the environment of the home to Regjanae’s 2008
death, Surbeck wrote in his ruling. Surbeck made the ruling because the trial was a bench trial, not a trial by jury.Allen
County Prosecutor Karen Richards declined to comment on the case
because another neglect charge against Williams is pending, as is her
sentencing. The case against Ford is also pending.