Cleveland toddler died from starvation, extreme dehydration after mother’s fatal overdose, records show

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A Cleveland man with a lengthy criminal history has been indicted in connection with the December 2023 deaths of a mother and her young son.

Tony Williams, 48, is charged with three counts of involuntary manslaughter, heroin trafficking, and corrupting another with drugs.

According to the indictment, Williams provided the drugs that ultimately led to the deaths of 27-year-old Carliah Morris and 19-month-old Carson Morris.

The woman and her son were found dead inside of their East 114th Street apartment on Dec. 16.

Their bodies were discovered by officers who were conducting a welfare check prompted by Carliah’s mother, who told police she had not seen her daughter since Dec. 5.

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office recently determined that Carliah died from an accidental drug overdose, while Carson died as the result of starvation and extreme dehydration.

The toddler’s death has been ruled a homicide.

Investigators believe Williams is responsible for Carliah’s fatal overdose and that Carson’s death was the direct result of Williams giving drugs to the boy’s mother.

Williams was indicted on March 26. He pled not guilty to the charges and is being held on $10,000 bond.

Court records show Williams has more than two dozen felony convictions in Cuyahoga County, mostly for drug trafficking and possession.

He was arrested on Dec. 9, 2023 on warrants first issued in 2022 for failing to appear in court in two separate criminal cases.

Williams was released from jail on Dec. 12. after posing the $2,500 personal bond set by Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Brian Mooney,

Another arrest warrant was issued for Williams on March 21 after he failed to appear at a pretrial hearing.

He was taken into custody that same day and remains in the Cuyahoga County Jail, according to court records.

Williams is due back in court for a pretrial hearing on April 23.

19 Investigates reached out to his attorney for comment and will update this story if we receive a response.

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