Toilet Training Horror: Nancy Says “Rot In Hell!” as Mom Gets Life Without Parole | Crime Alert 6AM 12.17.25

A judge hands down a life sentence after a young child dies from repeated beatings tied to toilet training, with prosecutors saying the injuries were survivable if help had been called sooner. Police probe a possible hate crime after gunfire erupts outside a home decorated for Hanukkah, leaving a family shaken and investigators searching for suspects who vanished into the night. Federal agents move in just in time to stop a New Year’s Eve bombing plot, arresting suspects in the desert as authorities say explosive devices were already being prepared. Drew Nelson reports.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime Alert, I'm Nancy. Grace breaking crime is now A
Georgia mom sent us to life for beating her four
year old little boy, Anthonyvice, to death because he wasn't
potty trained well. Whose fault is that, a thirteen year
old witness tells authorities Anthony's mom, Sophia Williams, whipped Anthony
into a quote unresponsive state rot in hell woman straight

(00:23):
out to Drew Nelson for more nancy.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
At the cab County Superior Court, Judge Senate Sophia Williams
forty three to life without the possibility of parole plus
ten years after her four year old son died from
head injuries that followed repeated beatings tied to him not
being potty trained, a jury convicted her in August of
malice murder, two counts of felony murder, four counts of
first degree cruelty to children, and three counts of aggravated

(00:50):
battery in the death of her son, Anthony Wes. Officers
responded to an apartment on Tregony Drive in Decatur March
sixth of twenty twenty two for a child who was
not briefa. First responders found Anthony lying on the living
room floor with no heartbeat. Medicks noticed quote new and
old bruising over the child's entire body, and he was
taken a Children's Health Care of Atlanta, but was pronounced

(01:12):
dead there. Williams told officers that Anthony was not potty trained,
and she disciplined him quote by striking him with her hand,
a house slipper, a purse strap, and a charging cord
when he did not listen or went without using the toilet.
She also claimed that he had hit his head the
week before. A thirteen year old in the home reported
that Williams quote whooped Anthony the day before his death.

(01:36):
The witness said he quote appeared to be dizzy and
fell to the floor unresponsive. Williams placed Anthony on her
bed and threw water on him, reviving him briefly before
he became unresponsive again. His movements throughout the night were
only involuntary. During that time, she searched on her phone
for remedy for concussion and coma symptoms and causes. She

(01:56):
later fell asleep and woke up around five am to
Anty making a low grunting sound. His body was limp
and she felt him stop breathing. She called Anthony's father
at exactly five thirty eight am and called nine one
one at six twenty six am. She told officers she'd
laid calling because of the bruises on his body, and
autops he showed he died from blunt force trauma to

(02:18):
the head and likely would have survived if she had
sought medical care when she first noticed the signs of injury.

Speaker 1 (02:26):
Thanks drew more Crime and Justice news after this.

Speaker 2 (02:34):
Federal authorities say a coordinated New Year's Eve bombing plot
targeting multiple locations across southern California is thwarted after investigators
tracked suspects into the desert while they tested their explosives.
The arrests announced at a Los Angeles news conference, where
First Assistant United States Attorney Bill A. Saley says four
alleged members of the Turtle Island Liberation Front were taken

(02:57):
into custody last week. According to prosecutors, the suspects traveled
to a remote desert campsite with bomb making materials and
began preparing devices before federal agents moved in. Assie says
the case centers on a plot that was already underway
and carefully planned around the New Year's Eve holiday.

Speaker 3 (03:16):
It included a step by step instructions to build IEDs
or improvised explosive devices, and listed multiple targets across Orange
County and Los Angeles.

Speaker 2 (03:27):
Investigators say surveillance aircraft observed the group unloading materials at
the campsite and arranging components consistent with early stage bomb construction.
Prosecutors said the suspects had already taken significant steps toward
carrying out the plan when they were arrested. Assiale describes
what investigators uncovered.

Speaker 3 (03:46):
The charges we are announcing today stem from the defendants
and their co conspirators detailed coordinated plot to bomb multiple
US companies on New Year's Eve.

Speaker 2 (03:58):
Assie says agents intervened before the group could complete the devices.

Speaker 3 (04:02):
They had everything they needed to make an operational bomb
at that location, and they were subsequently arrested by the
FBI before they could build a functional explosive device.

Speaker 2 (04:13):
Each defendant now faces charges including conspiracy and possession of
an unregistered destructive device. The four suspects charged in the
case are Audrey Eileen Carroll thirty, Zachary Aaron Page thirty two,
Dante Gaffield twenty four, and Tina Lai forty one. Prosecutors
say all four are from the Los Angeles area and

(04:34):
self identified as members of an offshoot group tied to
the Turtle Island Liberation Front. Prosecutors have said additional charges
are possible as the investigation continues. Authorities are working to
identify whether others knew about or assisted the plot. A
Jewish family in southern California says they were targeted in
what police are investigating as a hate crime after someone

(04:56):
shouted slurs and open fire on their home as they
they celebrate Hanukkah. The attack happened around eight o'clock December
twelfth at a home on Magnolia Avenue in Redlands. Roger
Cohen and his son, John Paul were about to leave
the house when a sedan drove past. Inside were three suspects,
two women, one man. John Paul told KTLA the encounter
escalated fast.

Speaker 4 (05:18):
He was holding whatever it was towards me, but he
chose to yell at me and he said, yeah, free Palestine,
and then he used the N word.

Speaker 2 (05:26):
The father and son got into their car and drove away.
Minutes later, the suspects returned home. Surveillance video shows the
same vehicle driving past again, but this time more than
twenty shots fired toward the house. Police believed the weapon
was likely an airsoft gun, as no shellcasings were found
and no muzzle flash was visible on the video. Inside

(05:46):
the home, Roger's wife heads about. Cohen heard the noise
and thought it was something else.

Speaker 4 (05:51):
We just thought there was fireworks going outside. The dogs
are barking. Was it. How we pulled the surveillance video,
we realized it was a fireworks.

Speaker 2 (06:01):
The home is decorated with Honukkah inflatables, several of them
were damaged by the gunfire. Three family members were inside
at the home, though no one was hurt. Roger Cohen
says the attack will not change how his family lives
or celebrates.

Speaker 4 (06:14):
Our home is a home of joy. Our home is
the home of peace, and as you can see, we
like to just share our excitement to the world of
bringing joy to the world.

Speaker 2 (06:23):
Redland's police say they are investigating the incident as a
possible anti Semitic hate crime. Officers have increased patrols around
places of worship around the city. No suspects have been named.
At the end of the night, John Paul says the
realization of how close the encounter came has stayed with him.

Speaker 4 (06:40):
Looking back, realizing that what he had in his hand
was likely a gun and that he was that close
to me really shakes me up.

Speaker 2 (06:48):
Anyone with information is urged to contact Redland's Police at
nine oh nine seven nine eight seventy six eighty one.

Speaker 1 (06:55):
Thanks Drew for the latest crime and justicees. Go to
crimeonline dot com and please join us for our daily podcast,
Crime Stories, where we do our best to find missing people,
especially children, and help solve unsolved homicides. With this crime
a lark I Nancy Grace