BELFAST, Maine — A Maine woman convicted of killing her 3-year-old son two months ago was sentenced to 47 years in prison on Tuesday.
Jessica Trefethen, aka Jessica Williams, 36, of Stockton Springs, was convicted of depraved indifference murder in the death of her son, Maddox Williams, WTMW-TV reported.
The boy’s grandmother described the child as having “head to toe bruises,” according to The Associated Press.
BREAKING: Jessica Trefethen was sentenced to 47 years in prison for beating her 3½-year-old son, Maddox Williams, to death in June 2021. https://t.co/A9PVCchYyW
— Bangor Daily News (@bangordailynews) December 20, 2022
Jurors reached the verdict after deliberating for an hour after five days of testimony, the Bangor Daily News reported. Trefethen is expected to appeal.
Superior Court Justice Robert Murray described Trefethen as having “a twisted sense of punishment” that she imposed on her son, according to the newspaper.
The statements, interviews and behavior by the defendant immediately after the death of Maddox focused on causes by anything but herself,” Murray said.
Trefethen did not address the court before her sentence, the Daily News reported.
The grandmother, on Maddox’s father side is now addressing the court.
— Adriana (@AdrianaWMTW) December 20, 2022
With lots of emotion, she says she should not be in court right now but instead preparing to spend Christmas with her grandson. pic.twitter.com/ZIR1ZOwunf
Maine State Police arrested Jessica Trefethen on June 23, 2021, according to WCSS-TV and WABI-TV. Maddox Williams died three days earlier at Waldo County General Hospital in Belfast, according to WGME-TV.
The boy, who was complaining of stomach pain, lost consciousness in the hospital parking lot and could not be revived, the television station reported.
According to an autopsy, Maddox Williams was also missing three teeth and had a fractured spine, ruptured bowel and brain injury, The Associated Press reported.
Maine Deputy Chief Medical Examiner Liam Funte testified that the boy died of battered child syndrome, the Daily News reported. The fatal injuries were inflicted a few hours before his death.
At the time of his death, the child was just shy of 3 feet tall and weighed 27 pounds, the autopsy report stated.
The death of Maddox Williams and several other children in June 2021 drew statewide attention, the AP reported. It led to reform efforts by state lawmakers and Gov. Janet Mills.
A report from the Maine Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability on how their cases were handled is due next year to the Legislature, the Daily News reported.
The boy lived with his father and paternal grandmother, Victoria Vose, until he was 2 years old, according to the newspaper. After Andrew Williams was arrested in March 2021, the boy was returned to his mother.
Trefethen faced 25 years to life in prison, the Daily News reported. Assistant Attorneys General Leane Zainea and John Risler, who prosecuted the case, recommended a sentence of 55 years. Defense attorney Jeffrey Toothaker sought a 30-year sentence, according to the newspaper.
Andrew Williams, 32, of Rockport, attended the sentencing hearing and spoke to reporters, the Daily News reported. He said that Maddox, who was born premature, had been safe with him and his family and accused the Department of Health and Human Services of failing his son.
“They were warned several times by my whole family that this was going to happen but they wouldn’t listen,” Andrew Williams told reporters. “I warned them that this was going to happen, that she was going to hurt him or kill him but they did not listen.”
“We got a life sentence,” Vose told reporters, according to WMTW. “Life without Maddox, and I felt she should’ve got the life sentence.”
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