QUASIR ALEXANDER - 2 months (2010)/ Convicted: Mother: Tanya Williams - West Philadelphia - PA

Mother Arrested In Baby Starvation Case

PHILADELPHIA - Police have arrested Friday
the mother of a 2-month-old boy who died of starvation in a West
Philadelphia shelter, and said she is expected to face murder and child
endangerment charges. Tanya Williams, 32, had been living at the
Traveler’s Aid Shelter with her six children, and in the early morning
of Dec. 23, a medical crew had been called to the North 49th Street
location for a report that one of her children, Quasir Alexander, was
not responsive. Police said the child was brought to the
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where he was pronounced dead. They
said an autopsy determined the child had died of starvation and
dehydration. The woman’s five other children, including the boy’s twin
brother, had been removed from her care at that point. However, she was
not arrested for the child’s death until Friday night at police
headquarters. The executive director of the shelter, Ted Weerts,
had said Thursday the shelter provides food and a secure place for
families to stay. He said they have four case workers, and one
supervisor for those case workers, to handle nearly 300 residents of the
shelter with the majority being children. It was not clear how a
child could have died of starvation while staying at a facility that
offers food. Mayor Michael Nutter issued a statement after learning of
the child’s death. "This is a tragedy, and there will be a full investigation,” said Nutter. A
city Department of Human Services spokesperson acknowledged Thursday
the organization was involved with the situation and an investigation
was underway. However, they could not disclose any other circumstances
of their involvement, including whether or not they had been involved
before the child’s death, due to privacy laws.

http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/local_news/mother-arrested-in-baby-starvation-case1111

This is nuts. A woman who has 4 children and no means to care for them gets pregnant again and has twins and everyone thinks that's fine, the kids will all have a safe and happy life? We've all got to stand up and say we won't tolerate this. Nobody needs to have 6 children if you can't even provide a stable home. Those twins should have been adopted out to a loving couple.

Kiwi, sweets, we couldn't be more in sync then, well, N'Sync!
I am all for "female rights" but I am also for a superseding rule...
What is best for the child?

The worst part of this case for me was
THIS SHELTER PROVIDED FREE BABY FORMULA!This woman sat around on her 'entitled' butt, in a free room, with free food, and free formula and let her baby STARVE TO DEATH!

babyluv wrote:The worst part of this case for me was
THIS SHELTER PROVIDED FREE BABY FORMULA!This woman sat around on her 'entitled' butt, in a free room, with free food, and free formula and let her baby STARVE TO DEATH!

Welcome babyluv. It should never have got to this. I expect the mother was probably depressed or had PND. I can't understand why the rest of the community think it's ok that these children and babies were in that position.
Nobody does anything for the children - and I don't mean providing shelters and formula - I mean take them away and find them a loving home in a normal 2 parent family - and then when the inevitable happens we all throw up our hands and say how awful!

Charles J Stecker Jr

Well it’s been almost 44 years since the Philadelphia System failed my brother, “Li’l Eddie”, and continued its failure of me throughout my teen years and here we are still losing children to a Broken Failed System. I say WE Survivors should start an Oversight Committee to monitor these agencies.

http://www.causes.com/causes/330585-my-brother-edward-john-stecker-li-l-eddie-born-april-11-1964-murdered-february-28-1967?m=6ce15cdb

Edward John Stecker was born to this earth on April 11, 1964 and taken away tragically on February 28, 1967. He died in the arms of his loving 4 year old brother (Me) and at the hands of his foster mother (Lillian Bedford). We lived with the Bedford’s for only 13 days. Ten months before another child ( Brent Garcia ) died of unknown causes in the same home. Edward was taken away along with his older brother (Me) and younger sister due to Abuse and Neglect from their natural parents only to end up Murdered by the same system assigned to protect him. Li’l Eddie, My Brother, I live today for you and in your Memory, All My Love Your Brother Charles Jr.

Dear Charles, it broke my heart to read your story. I'm so sorry your brother was killed and so very sorry for the pain and suffering you both endured and you still endure. It would be a great idea to try and oversee the authorities but they are so secretive that we don't know what they're up to until it's a "too late' story. My son is adopted and I was astounded at all the tests and interviews and hoops we went through to be approved as adoptive parents. Ironically, I don't think the standards are set as high for someone wanting to foster children, and as we all know, it doesn't matter who or what you are or whether you are capable of looking after a child, if you can give birth just go for it. Have as many as you like. Drug addict? No problem. I think we need to try to do something about young kids getting pregnant and playing house with boyfriends and babies in the first place. Stop the benefits for a start as it just enables them. Sorry to rant. Your story and the loss of your brother got me started. You might find you get something out of helping us around here. It's heartbreaking but worthwhile IMO.

Thank you Charles (TS) for posting the details of your tragic story.
Welcome to J4C!
The system is extremely overburdened with too many cases/investigations and not enough people or time to do a proper job.
Yes, there are some slackers out there who will just turn in hours and not have done their job as thoroughly as needed. This is true in any occupation. I truly believe that we must go back one step further and prevent the cases from happening at all.
There must be major swing in society's acceptable behavior, to begin with.
Perhaps if there weren't so many families in distress in the first place, there wouldn't be a need for foster family placement.
Agreed, the system is broken...but the whole system, going all the way back to the origin.

New Details In Boy's Starvation Death


FIRST ON FOX: M.E. Says Boy Had Fractured Skull

Disturbing new details have surfaced in the starvation death of 2-month old Quasir Alexander.
Fox 29's Dave Schratwieser spoke exclusively to District Attorney Seth Williams who said his office and homicide detectives have subpoenaed records from Lutheran Children & Family Services pertaining to the death of Quasir.
32-year old Tanya Williams had been living at the Traveler’s Aid Shelter with her six children, and in the early morning of Dec. 23, a medical crew had been called to the North 49th Street location for a report that one of her children, Quasir Alexander, was not responsive. The child was transported to CHOP where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy determined the child had died of starvation and dehydration. William's five other children, including the boy’s twin brother, had been removed from her care at that point.
Williams has been charged with homicide.
A spokesperson for the center says it has turned all the records over to investigators and is cooperating. Earlier this week two caseworkers were suspended pending an internal investigation.
DA Williams told Dave, "It is a tragedy that should not have happened. This young man should not have slipped through he cracks." He also revealed that the medical examiner's office said Quasir weighed more at death than at birth and his skull was fractured.

http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/local_news/new-details-in-boy's-starvation-death

DA Williams told Dave, "It is a tragedy that should not have happened. This young man should not have slipped through he cracks." He also revealed that the medical examiner's office said Quasir weighed more at death than at birth and his skull was fractured.
Oh great, so she not only starved the baby, she beat him too!

To Kiwi: Thanks for the welcome! I could definately see how this mother (homeless, 6 kids, newborn twins) could be suffering from PND and feeling overwhelmed. But she would have to be at an 'Andrea Yates' level of PND before I would even consider it as a defense.

BTW, does anyone else think it's a little odd that the DA refers to an 8 week old as a 'young man'? Weirdo!

babyluv wrote:DA Williams told Dave, "It is a tragedy that should not have happened. This young man should not have slipped through he cracks." He also revealed that the medical examiner's office said Quasir weighed more at death than at birth and his skull was fractured.
Oh great, so she not only starved the baby, she beat him too!

To Kiwi: Thanks for the welcome! I could definately see how this mother (homeless, 6 kids, newborn twins) could be suffering from PND and feeling overwhelmed. But she would have to be at an 'Andrea Yates' level of PND before I would even consider it as a defense.

BTW, does anyone else think it's a little odd that the DA refers to an 8 week old as a 'young man'? Weirdo!

Welcome babyluv.

Very weird. Maybe he was in shock that a woman could do such a horrible thing to such a precious baby.

I haven't seen anything about cries for help from this monstrous uterus. Yates' husband refused to allow her to have medical help or emotional support. That POS should be in prison. He knew what he was doing and is responsible for the lives of his children and the fate of Andrea.

Jury to get case of mother accused of starving baby to death



Tanya Williams

BY MENSAH M. DEAN, Daily News Staff Writer deanm@phillynews.com, 215-568-8278
Posted: May 10, 2013

THE PHILADELPHIA jury that will begin deliberating today over whether a homeless mother of six starved one of her children to death was confronted with dueling pictures of the baby yesterday.

On the one hand, a series of cellphone photographs and a video showed little Quasir Alexander surrounded by seemingly healthy and happy siblings and adult relatives as he sucked on bottles and pacifiers.

But on the other, Assistant District Attorney Peter Lim countered with what was likely the last picture of Quasir, taken shortly after the 2-month-old boy died at a city homeless shelter Dec. 23, 2010.

He was naked, lying on his back, mouth open, all skin and bones. His death was ruled a homicide due to starvation and dehydration.

"It is crystal clear," Lim said in his closing argument, that Tanya Williams made a conscious decision not to feed Quasir and his twin brother Quamir, who was hours from death when doctors at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia saved his life.

"What could be more telling than this? You mean, she's telling you she didn't know he was dying?" Lim asked, gesturing to Quasir's death photo projected on a large screen.

When Williams' defense lawyer, Gregory Pagano, turned the projection off, Lim dashed across the courtroom to turn it back on.

Williams, 34, continually dabbed her eyes. She's in custody without bail, four of her children are in foster care, and Quamir has been adopted.

Williams is charged with murder and child endangerment in Quasir's death and with attempted murder and child endangerment for Quamir's injuries.

Pagano told the jury that Williams did not intentionally harm her sons. Rather, he said, she was a stressed, homeless mother who was repeatedly failed by the system that was supposed to help families like hers.

Doctors at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania released her premature, 4-pound twins too early after their October 2010 births, the Department of Human Services prescribed the wrong level of care for the family and a caseworker from Lutheran Children and Family Service declared that Quasir was healthy just 36 hours before he died, Pagano said.

"If the educated and trained personnel assigned to her didn't notice, how could she?" he asked the jury.

In January 2011, Lutheran Children, a nonprofit that had a city contract to help the family, fired the caseworker and her supervisor.

http://articles.philly.com/2013-05-10/news/39144602_1_quasir-alexander-quamir-lutheran-children

Tanya Williams, Homeless Mom, Convicted In Baby's Starvation Death

By MARYCLAIRE DALE 05/14/13 09:36 PM ET EDT

PHILADELPHIA — A mother of six whose infant son starved to death at a homeless shelter was convicted of involuntary manslaughter on Tuesday.

Tanya Williams had shown no emotion when paramedics found her emaciated, lifeless son alone on a bed, wearing only a diaper, two days before Christmas 2010, according to testimony. Quasir Alexander was 2 months old and weighed just over 4 pounds, a half-pound less than his birth weight.

The jury also convicted Williams, 34, of the aggravated assault of the infant's surviving twin, who was found near death, and of child endangerment. It found Williams not guilty of first-degree murder but deadlocked on third-degree murder and the attempted murder of the twin.

Defense lawyer Gregory Pagano called his client, who has a low IQ, "a scapegoat" for the failings of social workers, doctors and others and said the jury found that she had "no intent" to harm her son.

"We never thought it was a murder case," Pagano said Tuesday. "And I guess the jury really didn't think so either."

A city-funded caseworker had seen the 2-month-old boys 36 hours earlier and deemed them healthy. The caseworker also released Williams from a voluntary parenting class. The now-fired caseworker never saw the twins unclothed, her boss at Lutheran Children and Family Service testified.

Williams faces five to 10 years in prison for aggravated assault of a minor, a term that a judge could run concurrent or consecutive to the lesser charges. Her sentencing is set for June 28. She has been in prison since her arrest more than two years ago, and she has lost custody of her children.

The trial prosecutor argued that Williams hid the fact she wasn't feeding the twins from two caseworkers and a visiting nurse. Williams did not testify, so it's unclear if she ever tried to feed them. There was powdered formula found in her room at the Travelers Aid shelter, and she had told a caseworker she had enough milk for them until January.

The caseworker, Cleo Smalls, invoked her constitutional right not to testify when called by the defense. No one else has been charged in the case.

Executive Director Richard Gitlen said in staff emails afterward that he was ashamed of his agency, Pagano told jurors in opening statements. But the trial judge stopped him from grilling Gitlen about those emails when the agency head testified, apparently ruling that they were not relevant to the charges against Williams.

Gitlen issued a statement after the verdict calling the infant's death "a horrible tragedy."

"Through the years we have dedicated ourselves to tens of thousands of children," he said. "It is that commitment that compels us to learn from this loss so that we may continue to serve children and families."

Assistant District Attorney Peter Lim told jurors that Williams failed to take advantage of help offered by Smalls, a shelter worker and the visiting nurse.

Williams' case files suggest that she repeatedly made appointments to take her children for vaccines or checkups or to apply for food stamps or other programs but rarely followed through.

The twins were born at a hospital on Oct. 21 and 22 and were released on Oct. 25. Their mother had not had any prenatal visits and did not know she was carrying twins.

Williams had become homeless in September after arguments with her mother over her boyfriend, the father of her four youngest children, who was in and out of jail. A church friend then took her in, but she left after they argued over religion. The pregnant Williams curled up one night with her children in the lobby of the city's Department of Human Services in an effort to get help.

The agency deemed her family a low to moderate risk and steered her to the voluntary parenting program run by Gitlen's agency, which was funded by the city. That decision apparently was based on the fact Williams had done well with her oldest four, according to Gitlen, who was not involved in the decision.

But school records aired in court show the oldest girls had been chronically truant the year before and one was dressing provocatively and bullying other girls at her new school.

Williams has an IQ of 65, Pagano argued. According to her Lutheran case file, she was excited when she had the twins, at least partly because she thought it would help her get into public housing.

It's unclear whether prosecutors plan to retry the deadlocked counts, which followed two days of deliberations. Lim and an office spokeswoman did not immediately return phone and email messages Tuesday evening.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/14/tanya-williams-homeless-m_0_n_3275554.html