Kendrick Lee's skeletal remains were found last week after cops say he was killed a year ago.
A vigil was held over the weekend for the Texas child who was found dead in an apartment nearly a year after cops say he was killed. The boy's body was found after his siblings, who police say were abandoned, called authorities.
The Houston community came together Saturday to honor the life of 8-year-old Kendrick Lee, ABC 13 reported.
Members of the community spoke, placed photos, stuffed animals, and balloons, at the vigil outside the apartment complex where the boy had lived with his three siblings, local station KHOU reported.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said Gloria Williams, 35, is charged with injury to a child by omission and tampering with evidence, a human corpse; failure to provide medical care and failure to provide adequate supervision, authorities said. Her boyfriend, Brian Coulter, 31, is charged with murder. Both could face more charges, Gonzalez added.
Gonzalez said that Coulter is accused of killing the boy in late November 2020 by beating him to death, ABC 13 reported.
Williams, who is behind bars after her arrest Tuesday night, told KHOU reporter Grace White last week, "I'm sorry. I didn't do it."
Williams is being represented by a public defender. Inside Edition Digital has reached out to her attorney for comment and has not heard back.
Coulter appeared in court for the first time Thursday afternoon and the judge recused himself from the case for personal reasons, ABC 6 reported.
Investigators in the case are said to be traumatized, according to ABC 6.
Coulter’s next appearance, according to Harris County Sheriff’s Office is December 15. He will then enter a plea.
Despite reports saying that Coulter bonded out over the weekend, Harris County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to Inside Edition Digital that he is still in custody and behind bars.
Inside Edition Digital has reached out to the county clerk to find out who Coulter’s attorney is and has not heard back.
The surviving children who are 15, 10, and 7, are now with Child Protective Services. Investigators believe some of the children have different fathers. One father is deceased and the other is not in the picture and has no contact with his child or children, ABC 13 reported.
KHOU reports that Williams has a total of six kids ranging from 7 to 17.
Authorities say at least one of the children who was living in the abandoned apartment in squalor has special needs. None of the children had attended school since May 2020.
Authorities said Williams and her boyfriend abandoned the apartment and the surviving children five to six months after the 8-year-old boy was killed, Click 2 Houston reported. Cops say the couple moved to a different apartment less than a half-hour away with the mother periodically bringing food to her kids, according to Click 2 Houston.
