A woman in Houston has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for forcing her three children to live with the decomposing body of their 8-year-old brother for over a year in a squalid, roach-infested apartment. The woman, 38, expressed deep regret before being sentenced.
The sentencing came after she pleaded guilty to two counts of injury to a child for the abuse that led to the death of 8-year-old Kendrick Lee, who was beaten to death by her boyfriend. When authorities discovered the boy's body in October 2021, it was described as one of the most disturbing scenes by many officers.
The three abandoned brothers were found living alone in an unfurnished apartment infested with flies and roaches, with soiled carpet. They were thin, malnourished, and hungry when authorities rescued them. The children had waited for their mother to report their brother's death, but she never did. The eldest sibling eventually called for help.
The court hearing focused on the extent of the woman's role in Lee's death. Her defense attorneys blamed her boyfriend for most of the abuse. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the boy's death. Authorities revealed that the boyfriend had fatally beaten Lee around Thanksgiving in 2020.
After the fatal beating, the woman and her boyfriend moved out, leaving the surviving siblings to fend for themselves as their brother's body decomposed. The woman relinquished parental rights over her children after her arrest. The two younger siblings have been adopted, while the eldest is with a foster family.
