Teen charged with killing his 2-year-old son

[Unamused Cat]

Zjaire Williams

ROCKVILLE, Md. - A 17-year-old father, Darryl Eugene Powell, has been charged in with the murder of his 2-year-old son. Zjaire Williams was pronounced dead Wednesday, Jan. 7, after first responders were sent to the father's house.

The boy was taken to Shady Grove Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy ruled the death a homicide, finding the boy had died from multiple injuries to his head and abdomen.

Hospital workers discovered bruises on the boy's body and cuts to his upper and lower lips, police said. The boy, who normally lives with his mother in Damascus, was dropped off at his father's house in Gaithersburg about 2 a.m.Wednesday, police said.

The boy was reportedly in good condition when he was dropped off at his father's house.

Police say detectives were told that the father, Darryl Eugene Powell , 17, and son watched TV for a while and then both went to sleep on two separate sofas in the living room. Powell woke up in the early morning and could not wake his son, who was lying face down on cushions on the floor, police said. Powell called family members for help and then called 911, police said.

The child's father, Darryl Eugene Powell, was arrested Thursday evening and charged as an adult with first-degree murder. He is currently being held without bond at the Montgomery County Detention Center.

http://www.news8.net/news/stories/0109/584143.html

 

[Silvahalo]

I look at that picture and it just breaks my heart. He's such a doll. Looks like he just wanted to be loved. I bet this young father didn't see his son much, probably didn't even know what his favorite food was or that 2yr. old's shouldn't be awake at 2am in the morning...wtf?
Also noticed that they don't share the same last name....step-father? or mom gave him her name.

The article leaves a lot of questions yet to be answered. Like wtf happened? He didn't just magically get bruises on his abdomen and head. I want this loser to fess up and tell what he did, what on god's green earth could little Zjaire do to cause such a violent reaction.
I wouldn't be surprised if little Zjaire woke up upset unsure where he was and was crying for his mama. Whatever the reason, I'm sure he was crying and needed to be comforted.

Sweet little Zjaire. You got the bad end of the deal in your short life. My guess is mother and father didn't have much time for you and you had a hard time feeling secure and loved.


May the angels kiss and sooth you little one...

 

[Tazzzz]

I bet this young father didn't see his son much, probably didn't even know what his favorite food was or that 2yr. old's should be awake at 2am in the morning.
The article leaves a lot of questions yet to be answered. Like wtf happened? He didn't just magically get bruises on his abdomen and head. I want this loser to fess up and tell what he did, what on god's green earth could little Zjaire do to cause such a violent reaction.
I wouldn't be surprised if little Zjaire woke up upset unsure where he was and was crying for his mama. Whatever the reason, I'm sure he was crying and needed to be comforted.

The terrible 2's are bad enough, a child doesn't need to be left at someones house they don't even know very well. Especially at two in the fucking AM!!
He probly threw a fit and didn't behave, so dear daddy showed him who's the boss. A 17 year old boy who knows jack shit about children, thats a disaster in the making.

Looks like they only live about 10 miles from each other.

At the hospital it was learned that the boy had bruises on his body and cuts to his upper and lower lips. The body was sent to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Baltimore for an autopsy.

The preliminary report from the Medical Examiner’s office, based on findings during the autopsy, ruled the death a homicide caused by multiple injuries. The child sustained injuries to his head and abdomen.

Powell called Zjaire's mother, who lives in Damascus, on Tuesday and asked if he could have an overnight visit with Zjaire, police said. The mother, who was not identified, agreed and brought the boy over about 2 a.m. Wednesday.

Detectives were told that Powell and Zjaire watched television and then went to sleep on separate sofas in the living room, police said. Powell told police he woke up around 6 a.m. and saw his son face-down on cushions on the floor. He could not wake the child and called family members and 911 for help, he told police.

http://connectedcommunities.us/showthread.php?t=23713

 

[justmeintn]

Geez! 4 hours with dad and the baby dies. Mom should have said told him to wait instead of bringing that poor baby over there at 2 in the AM.

 

[penelopejo]

I find it odd that she'd leave him there at 2 in the morning. Really odd. I wouldn't have answered the phone that early, and if I would have, I would've told him just wait till the morning and you can have him tomorrow. Maybe she did something to him???? I just find the whole situation odd....

 

[Rockin Ma]

He's 17. Called family members for help. Does that mean he yelled upstairs mom dad help?

17 year olds aren't allowed on the roads at 2 am around where I am. Wonder why the mom would drop the baby off at that time.

Thanks UC. I hope there are follow ups to this story

 

[AussieMum]

All I can think is Why would you drop your child off anywhere at 2.00am??? What on earth was going on?? There is a lot more to come of this.

He's just adorable. Probably cheeky (and very tired!!!).
RIP sweet darling boy.

 

[Morticia]

He really was a beautiful little boy. Those eyes sort of stay with you. May he rest in peace.

Why is it that innocent children die at the hands of those who should love and protect them most? (One of those things I'd like to ask god one day) :frustrating:

 

[CountJackula]

My question is, is what mother brings her baby over to the fathers house at 2 AM??? Maybe the mom did it and then tried to blame the father by bringing him over there at 2 in the morning.....

 

[moonlilly1981]

my questions are the same what mother in their right mind drops off the child at two am unless there is an emergency? Sounds fishy to me and maybe dad didnt do it. Could be mom lost her temper or new man did and she was covering it up.

 

[Silvahalo]

2nd post, just can't get past his little face...

The boy was taken to Shady Grove Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy ruled the death a homicide, finding the boy had died from multiple injuries to his head and abdomen.

Hospital workers discovered bruises on the boy's body and cuts to his upper and lower lips, police said. The boy, who normally lives with his mother in Damascus, was dropped off at his father's house in Gaithersburg about 2 a.m.Wednesday, police said.

Yeah, the bastard beat the shit of out him. I'm thinking Little Zjaire woke up crying needed his mama instead he got fists full of rage.

So sorry sweet one...be at peace now.

 

[Peeperann]

Poor sweet little baby. WTF?? I have the same questions as everyone else. Why was he dropped off at 2am, what the hell could have happened that was so bad in a 4 hour time period that he ended up beaten to death???

Where were grandma and or grandpa? I can't see him living on his own. Did no one else hear anything? And why beat a baby??!!

You hug and comfort them!! Rest with God sweet baby boy...........

 

[knat801]

In My Local Paper.

Hi everyone, I'm new to this site and posting. I saw this in my local paper and decided to post it here.

Dad killed 2-year-old son, police say; child had ties to valley


By Tom Davidson
The Herald

SHENANGO VALLEY —
A 2-year-old boy with ties to the Shenango Valley was killed Wednesday — allegedly by his father — in Montgomery County, Maryland, a family member originally from Farrell said Saturday.


Cynthia Brown, of Charles Town, W.Va., formerly of Farrell, is Zjaire Williams’ great-great maternal aunt.

Zjaire, pronounced Zaire<./i>, lived with his mother, Todzja Williams, 17, and grandmother, LaSonia “Moniqueâ€￾ Williams in Damascus, Md., but had spent the night at his father Darryl E. Powell’s residence in Gaithersburg, Maryland, according to the Washington Post.

Powell, 17, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of his son, who was found with bruises on his body and cuts to his lips inside Powell’s home, the Post reported.

The Maryland medical examiner’s office ruled Zjaire’s death a homicide.

Powell told police the pair had watched TV for a while on separate sofas in the living room and that when Powell woke up Zjaire was face-down on cushions on the floor.

“He was the light of our life,â€￾ Mrs. Brown said.

Mrs. Brown called Zjaire a “precious, beautifulâ€￾ child, from a “close-knit family.â€￾

Williams is a common surname in Farrell and elsewhere in the Shenango Valley and there are a lot of local family that have made the trip to Maryland, outside Washington D.C., to plan the funeral.

These local family members include Zjaire’s maternal great-great grandmother Myrtle Ison of Farrell, maternal great-grandmother Dorethea Williams and maternal grandfather Todd Williams, both of New Castle.

“And a host of (other) relatives in the Shenango Valley area,â€￾ Mrs. Brown said.

The family is shocked that Powell is involved in the death, she said. He doesn’t have Shenango Valley ties, she said

 

[Tazzzz]

Darryl Eugene Powell, 17

Darryl Powell, 17, faces first-degree murder and first-degree child abuse

The 17-year-old from Gaithersburg accused of killing his 2-year-old son last month was indicted by a Montgomery County grand jury Thursday on one charge each of first-degree murder and first-degree child abuse.

Darryl Eugene Powell, of the 9400 block of Merust Lane of Gaithersburg, was arrested Jan. 8 after an autopsy determined that his son Zjaire Williams died the day before of "multiple injuries" — revealed by bruises inside his mouth and on his body — while the boy was in his father's custody.

Powell is being held without bond at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility in Boyds. His trial in Montgomery County Circuit Court is scheduled to begin in May.

He does not yet have an attorney, according to court records.

According to police charging documents and court records, Zjaire had been living with his 17-year-old mother, Todzja Williams, in Damascus but was with Powell when the injuries were sustained. According to those records, police and rescue crews responding to a 9-1-1 call found Zjaire unresponsive at Powell's mother's home on Merust Lane at around 6:19 a.m. on Jan. 7. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.

In February 2007 — when Zjaire was barely 2 months old — Williams filed a paternity suit against Powell. A blood test established that Powell was the boy's father, records show. A July 2007 hearing to determine child support was postponed so that Powell could "complete a court-ordered program for behavior rehabilitation," according to court records.

The case was dismissed in November

http://www.gazette.net/stories/02252009/gaitnew214400_32491.shtml

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

**NOTE!! This is his fucking older brother, lived in the same house as Darryl and the same one Zjaire died at WTF!! good role model material NOT!!!!, He gunned some guy down in cold blood during a drug deal for fucks sake.

http://upcounty.wordpress.com/2008/06/20/body-found-on-trail/

Anton Powell, 20

Last Friday there were several stories about this tragic incident on Merust Lane, which is west of Goshen Road, north of Centerway and a bit south of the power line right of way. The address seemed familiar, and doing a bit of checking I found that Darryl Powell, now accused of murdering his son, lives at the same address on Merust Lane as Anton Powell, who was accused last July of committing a murder in Germantown.

Those murder charges were dropped the following August, however Anton Powell remains charged, in an unrelated incident, with armed robbery and first degree assault. According to court records, the 21-year old Anton Powell did not show up for a scheduled court hearing last Thursday, the day a warrant was issued for the arrest of Darryl Powell following the death of Zjaire Williams.

Anton Powell has the proverbial “record as long as your arm,â€￾ and was out on multiple paroles at the time of the incidents last Summer. As best as I could determine, the only items currently showing up in the court records for Darryl Powell are the current arrest for first degree murder, and a paternity case from February of 2007.

http://gaithersblog.net/?s=merust

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Obviously, you're in a heap of trouble to say the least," Montgomery County District Court Judge Barry A. Hamilton told the defendant, Darryl Eugene Powell, 17, during a bond hearing Monday. If convicted, Powell could face the death penalty.

At the bond hearing, Hamilton asked for family of either the defendant or the victim to come forward. No one did. "My mom's looking for a lawyer right now," Powell said via closed-circuit television.

Hamilton denied bond and advised Powell to meet with a public defender if he does not have a lawyer by Friday.

A woman at the home of Tina R. Powell, the defendant's mother, declined comment. A relative of Zjaire's said the boy's family was not ready to comment. Police charging documents in the case provide the following account.

At around 6:19 a.m. on Jan. 7, police and rescue crews responded to Powell's homefor a 911 call for an unresponsive child. Zjaire was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. Powell told detectives that he had asked the boy's mother if Zjaire could to spend the night. She dropped Zjaire off at around 2 a.m.

"Powell stated that the 2 watched TV for a little while, gave him some water then the 2 went to sleep on the sofas in the living room," according to the documents. When Powell woke up, he found Zjaire "face down" on top of cushions on the floor.

"He went over saw that he was unresponsive, called Zjaire's mother, tried to get a family member to wake up to help him, and then called 911," according to the documents.

Hospital staff noticed that Zjaire had bruises and cuts and sent his body to the state Medical Examiner's Office. The next day, the medical examiner ruled that Zjaire was killed and the cause of death was "multiple injuries."

http://www.mail-archive.com/deathpenalty@lists.washlaw.edu/msg08992.html


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Darryl AKA Piru Pimpin Myspace page
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=135449700

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Todzja Williams Myspace page

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=50607428

 

[Vilijonkka]

You watch TV with your 2 year old at 2 AM? Seriously? I doubt there's childrens programs on at that hour.

There are so many questions. Nothing seems right.

He was a charmer. RIP, little man.

 

[Dakota]

"complete a court-ordered program for behavior rehabilitation,"

I would hate to see what he was like before his "behavior rehabilitation".

 

[Marv]

So big bruv is a violent thug too, little bruv wants to follow in his footsteps and has to start somewhere.

Bruising and cuts to his mouth, multiple injuries to his head and abdomen. Just simply battered to death by his fuckwit 'daddy'.

And WTF @ 2am??? My kids get hyper when they are tired, and cry/scream/whinge over the slightest thing. If that little poppet was over-tired, in a strange place, with a relatively strang man, then Im fairly sure that he would have been a tad upset and whingey too. And that was his death warrant sealed.

Why would the mother even want to prove that this POS was the father anyway, knowing that would give him access rights, and knowing what kind of a disfunctional family they were? I would have chalked it down to a lucky escape if he was denying it, and kept my baby FAR away from him.


RIP little Zjaire, you didnt deserve this shit. x

 

[PoongyPrincess]

I find it odd that she'd leave him there at 2 in the morning. Really odd. I wouldn't have answered the phone that early, and if I would have, I would've told him just wait till the morning and you can have him tomorrow. Maybe she did something to him???? I just find the whole situation odd....

I think it's more likely that she was probably already up at the time, 2 am isn't late for some of us :hello:, and thought there was no harm in just taking him by. In that photo he looks like a happy, healthy little boy, so I bet the mom took good care of him. She's probably devastated by this.

 

[PoongyPrincess]

I've had a few more minutes to think about this and now I have a couple of questions. First, were the head injuries closed? If so, they might not have been apparent to the average person. Signs are things like uneven pupils, bruising around the eyes (raccoon eyes), and cerebral spinal fluid leaking from the ears. The pupils could go entirely unnoticed, the raccoon eyes might be thought to be from a simple accident, and the csf could be thought just an ear infection.

Second, if the boy was only with his dad for four hours, then how did his bruises show up that quickly? I bruise pretty easily and I know that no matter how hard I bang myself on something, that no matter how much it hurts, it still takes at least to the next day to have a noticeable bruise.

Just some thoughts. Maybe the mom wasn't as innocent as I first thought.

 

[calidreamin09]

I agree that there seems to be alot more to this story. Firstly I have been up at 2 am many a night but not with my children. Even if Iwas up at 2 Iwouldnt take my kid to anyones house at that hour. It just deosnt make any sense. I also bruise easily now sometimes there is a faint mark when there is going to be a really bad bruise but it usually takes 12 to 24 hours for bruises to come to the surfcae so they are noticeable. I dont know it just doesnt all add up. Im not saying the mom did it but I am saying that its possible that she or someone else did before the baby was dropped off at the fathers house

 

[Dakota]

He was indicted today:

The 17-year-old from Gaithersburg accused of killing his 2-year-old son last month was indicted by a Montgomery County grand jury on one charge each of first-degree murder and first-degree child abuse.

Darryl Eugene Powell, of the 9400 block of Merust Lane of Gaithersburg, was arrested Jan. 8 after an autopsy determined that his son Zjaire Williams died the day before of "multiple injuries" — revealed by bruises inside his mouth and on his body — while the boy was in his father's custody.
[...]
According to police charging documents and court records, Zjaire had been living with his 17-year-old mother, Todzja Williams, in Damascus but was with Powell when the injuries were sustained

http://www.gazette.net/stories/02252009/gaitnew214400_32491.shtml

Technology is pretty good at determining when an injury occurred and how long certain things and death would take to happen after an injury. I am assuming that all this was presented to the grand jury as part of the determination of charges.

 

[Dakota]

Two families gathered on either side of a courtroom in Montgomery County on Wednesday, the tension between them rising. Before them was Darryl Powell, 18, about to be sentenced in the beating death of his 2-year-old son, Zjaire Williams.

"That's a good person. That's a good person," a relative of Powell's cried out as a prosecutor argued for a 20-year sentence.

"He's a baby killer," said a relative of the boy's mother. "He's a baby killer."

At one point during the hearing, Circuit Court Judge Louise Scrivener told the families to ratchet things down.

"Both sides of this courtroom are experiencing a great deal of pain," she said from the bench. "There's obviously a lot of emotion here today and has been for many, many months. . . . I believe that all of you loved this child. Of course you did. He's a beautiful child. Don't mar that by anger and violence when you leave the courtroom today."

She then sentenced Powell to 20 years in prison on a charge of child abuse resulting in death, following a plea agreement worked out among lawyers in the case. As part of the plea, an earlier charge of murder was dropped.

"Mr. Powell, you abused your own son and caused his death," Scrivener said.
[...]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/27/AR2010012703916.html

 

[TheMeaningOfItAll]

I don't understand these people that defend the actions of an abuser. "Good people" don't abuse children. Good people don't sever a baby's liver or cause hemorrhages on the baby's body. Twenty years is a travesty.

 

[VXIII]

My babysitter theory is in action here, I am not saying the guy didnt do it, but it would be very very easy for the person who really kills a baby to accuse another...