A DeKalb County mother has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the death of her four-year-old son, Anthony Vice. The sentencing follows a jury conviction on August 27, 2025, where Sophia Williams, 43, was found guilty of Malice Murder, two counts of Felony Murder, four counts of Cruelty to Children in the First Degree, and three counts of Aggravated Battery.
DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced the outcome. Judge Asha F. Jackson presided over the trial and issued the sentence during a hearing on December 9.
The incident occurred on March 6, 2022. Officers from the DeKalb County Police Department responded to an apartment on Tregoney Drive after receiving a call about a child who was not breathing. Upon arrival, they found Anthony Vice unresponsive on the living room floor. Emergency medical services attempted to revive him and noted bruising across his body before transporting him to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, where he was pronounced dead.
Williams told officers that her son was not potty trained and admitted to disciplining him by striking him with various objects when he did not listen or had accidents outside the toilet. She also claimed that Anthony had accidentally hit his head but denied responsibility for any head injuries.
A 13-year-old present in the home reported that Williams “whooped” Anthony on March 5 after he refused to use the bathroom. The child described seeing Anthony become dizzy and fall unresponsive.
According to testimony, Williams placed Anthony on her bed and threw water on him; although he briefly revived, he soon became unresponsive again. Throughout the night his only movements were reflexive jerks. During this time, Williams searched online for information about concussions and comas.
Williams fell asleep and awoke around 5 a.m., noticing Anthony making low grunting sounds before becoming completely limp and ceasing to breathe. She called Anthony’s father at 5:38 a.m., then called emergency services nearly an hour later at 6:26 a.m.
Williams told police she hesitated to seek help due to concerns about visible bruises on her son’s body. An autopsy determined that blunt force trauma to the head caused Anthony’s death and indicated he likely would have survived if medical care had been sought earlier.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Sarah Hilleren with support from Chief Assistant District Attorney Eddie Chase, former District Attorney Investigator Niyema Smith, and Victim Advocate Jenaiya Coleman. Former DeKalb County Police Detective J. Hayes led the initial investigation.
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