A mother and her “sick, demonic” boyfriend have been handed lengthy prison sentences after being found guilty of abuse and murder related to the death of her 7-year-old son.
On Thursday, a Detroit judge sentenced 25-year-old Alisha Hollamon to 20-40 years in prison, while her boyfriend, Avion Traylor, 23, received a more severe sentence of 28-60 years. Both admitted to murder charges linked to the brutal death of Deshawn Williams, 7.
Williams reportedly died in 2023 from blunt force trauma to his head and pelvis. The now-convicted Michigan couple was subsequently charged with felony murder, first-degree child abuse, and torture.
Regarding the latter charge, Wayne County Third Circuit Court Judge Paul Cusick reportedly watched a video in which Williams is heard “crying for his life” as his parents abused him. “It was one of the worst things, probably the worst thing I’ve seen or heard,” said Cusick, who has served on the bench for nine years.
The case did not go to trial, so no further details of the boy’s murder and suffering have been made public, reports MirrorUS. “There are absolutely no words to describe how brutalised Deshawn was,” the prosecutor said.
“Based on the facts and evidence that we have, Deshawn lived a nightmare.”
Before the sentencing, Krystal Hollamon, the victim’s aunt, delivered a tearful statement in court, branding Traylor as a “sick, demonic, ritual-like” killer.
She said there were no words to describe the horrific act he had committed against a young child, adding that the 23-year-old’s “mum gave birth to a demon.”
According to the distraught aunt, there were glaring warning signs that were overlooked. Both Traylor and Alisha chose not to speak when given the opportunity, so their lawyers spoke on their behalf.
The solicitor representing Alisha Hollamon stated her client was tormented by grief, fear, disbelief and guilt over her failure to protect her son.
She added that the mum was also abused by Traylor and was gathering the courage to confront him to free herself from the abuser.
Cusick dismissed any suggestion that the mum was a victim, determining that Alisha Hollamon played a part in William’s abuse and even fed the police fabricated stories. Traylor also lied to the police and tried to shift the blame for the 7-year-old’s death onto others.
In what seemed to be a last-ditch attempt to avoid a severe sentence, Traylor’s lawyer asked the court to withdraw the 23-year-old’s guilty plea, arguing that his client was pressured by law enforcement. The motion was ultimately rejected.
