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Police: Adopted child was starved, left outside to die

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MOUNT VERNON, Wash. The parents of a 13-year-old girl adopted from Ethiopia have been accused of starving and locking the girl outside resulting in hypothermia that killed her. Hanna Williams was found dead in her backyard on May 12, naked and wrapped in a sheet. She had been living with her adoptive parents, Larry and Carri Williams, since coming to America from Ethiopia in 2008. Larry Williams, 47, and Carri Williams, 40, were arrested Thursday in Skagit County and are charged with homicide by abuse. They are being held in lieu of $500,000 bail. Skagit Count Prosecutor Richard Weyrich told NBC station KING 5 that Hanna Williams' death ranks right up there among the worst cases he's ever prosecuted.
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Hanna Williams, 13, is seen in an image from KING 5.

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Probable cause affidavit in Hanna Williams case (PDF)

According to the charging documents, Carri Williams is alleged to have talked about how much she disliked her two adopted Ethiopian children, a 10-year-old boy and Hanna. The couple have six biological children. "She died of hypothermia and you know part of that relates to having lost so much weight over the past year, months ... she had lost nearly 30 pounds," Weyrich told KING 5.

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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44736685/[10/1/2011 5:53:48 PM]

Police: Adopted girl was starved, left outside to die - US news - Crime & courts - msnbc.com
Beautiful

According to allegations in the charging documents, Carri and Larry Williams

starved Hanna for days, put her in a locked closet and forced her to sleep outside in the barn in the cold. She wasn't allowed to use the bathroom in the house, instead having to go to a porta-potty behind the barn. In addition, according to an affidavit, Hanna was struck daily with a plumbing tool, a flexible plastic tube with a round ball on the end. Last Christmas when Hanna was forced to watch the family celebrate Christmas from outside and only let in when her parents had guests. Read the original story and see video at KING5.com An autopsy showed that the cause of death was hypothermia, but malnutrition and a stomach infection were contributing factors, the Skagit Valley Herald reported. All of the Williamses' biological children and adopted son have been removed from the home.
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In the documents, a book entitled "To Train Up a Child," was referenced. Weyrich says it includes punishment techniques the Williamses mimicked. There have been other child abuse cases linked to the book across the country, he said. KING 5's Natasha Ryan and Jake Whittenberg contributed to this report.

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Discuss: Police: Adopted child was starved, left outside to die

Washington state couple charged with homicide abuse in horrific death

540 total comments

Why did they even adopt? Lowlife scum.

Sheila-846240, with 63

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amp-472251, with 37

This is horrifying. She was a beautiful child, how could anyone be so cruel? How was it possible that no one noticed the weight loss or other signs of abuse? I am sickened just thi ki b t it

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Oh, Hanna, dear. So, so, sorry you had the misfortune of living with those a**holes. I hope there is a beautiful heaven and that you are enjoying it.
Snookums48, with 26

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Police: Adopted girl was starved, left outside to die - US news - Crime & courts - msnbc.com

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