Parents who allegedly gave baby a fatal dose of Zzzquil ordered held pending case's outcome
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — The parents of a 13-month-old boy who was given a fatal dose of over-the-counter sleep medicine were ordered held in custody pending trial.
Peoria County Circuit Judge Steve Kouri said Tasheaunna R. Williams, 26, and Nausicca Thomas, 27, were both to be held at the county jail pending the outcome of allegations of first-degree murder regarding the death of Hezekiah Williams in late December.
Despite the fact that both women have largely abided by conditions outlined more than a month ago when they were initially charged with a lesser charge of aggravated battery, the judge found they presented a risk to the community.
They are accused of giving the boy 40ml of Zzzquil and then leaving him alone for two hours. An adult dose is 30ml, and Assistant State's Attorney Deborah Shelby noted that makers of the medication state on their packing that it should not be given to anyone under 12.
Women accused of giving Zzzquil to infant set for late March trial
Both women face up to 100 years in prison, well more than the normal maximum of 60 years behind bars. That's because of the age of the child.
Shelby told Kouri that officials learned of the child in mid-December when he was brought to an area hospital after he was found unresponsive at his home. Initially, the parents were charged with lesser charges and not murder, the prosecutor said, because they didn't have results from the toxicology tests or the autopsy.
Hezekiah Williams also showed signs of severe malnourishment, poorly healing wounds, bruising and bleeding diaper rash, according to the court documents. In short, according to the court record, Hezekiah was in a coma and on a ventilator when police arrived.
He was on life support for several days before dying on Dec. 27, 2024.
During the hearing, Kouri also canceled the women's trial for later this month. Those dates were never really seriously considered given the nature of the counts and the gravity of the possible sentence.
The judge moved the trial back to mid-May.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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