Documents: Wash. teen was abused, tortured before her death
»Play Video
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Documents released Wednesday to KOMO News from Child Protective Services paint a disturbing picture of torture and starvation that led to the death of a 13-year-old girl.
Hana Williams came to the U.S. from Ethiopia with parasites and ringworm, but that's not what killed the young teen. Skagit County authorities say Hana was constantly denied food, locked in a dark closet for days, and forced to sleep in a barn.
Police say Hana was left out in her backyard barely clothed on a cold, rainy May night just hours before dying in a hospital.
Now, her adoptive parents, Carri and Larry Williams, are charged with her death.
Thomas Shapley says Department of Social and Health Services staff were not satisfied with the results of the autopsy.
"It just wasn't enough," Shapley said. "The autopsy came back 'cause of death could not be determined.' Our folks were tenacious and concerned some bad things were going on in this house."
DSHS first asked a medical consultant to review records, then two more eminent doctors including one from Children's Hospital.
"It was their conclusion that abuse and even torture was involved," Shapley said.
The DSHS documents reveal Carri Williams told investigators she'd spanked Hana the night before her death, leaving a large number of marks on the child's legs.
The Skagit County coroner said the red marks could have come from someone hitting Hana with a switch. The thin teenager weighed 75 pounds at the time of her death.
"She had actually lost weight from when she had arrived here from Ethiopia," Shapley said.
She'd dropped a fourth of her body weight. One doctor concluded severe starvation potentially contributed to her death.
"We went to court and asked the court to remove the children," Shapley said.
Hana's seven siblings were all placed with relatives and foster parents. The oldest, now 18, has returned to his Sedro-Woolley home. He's there with his mother Carri who is out on bail.
Her husband Larry, a Boeing worker, remains in jail awaiting trial for homicide by abuse and assault for allegedly torturing Hana's adopted brother.
If convicted, the couple faces life in prison.
Hana's brothers and sisters are being monitored in monthly visits and DSHS says it might ask for a severing of parental rights even if the Williams are not convicted.
Hana's death also plays a prominent role in a new report ordered by the governor's office on the severe abuse of adopted children.
The state doesn't do any background checks or home checks on international or private adoptions, and is looking into standardizing those procedures.
It seems really sick that they adopt a kid and then torture them. Is this like adopting a sacrificial lamb to take out all their frustrations?
It's more like adopting as many kids as possible for financial benefit. These kids probably provided considerable income for them. Poor Hana, she went from one bad situation to the worst possible situation. I hope the other kids are in homes where love is plentiful and can thrive.
 @KachinaÂ
It's interesting that they can adopt without a background check or evaluation of the home.
What a beautiful, young girl. I have to wonder though...and please don't take this in a wrong way...but her teeth are exceptionally beautiful, as if she had extensive dental work...braces, whitening, bonding...if this is so, then who did this? Certainly not by someone who would starve her and beat her. Does DHS do this for children coming from places overseas who need it? Her smile is just brilliant....such a loss of something so lovely :(
 @fracasShe was beautiful. I tear up so much thinking of these poor kids who have to be put at the hands of monsters. They are helpless unless someone gets a clue, and even then, it is too late. I hope protocol changes. :( I heard that people who eat more meat have healthier teeth. That might be the wrong answer here, but just something I heard. I know there are starving families there, so it probably had to do with something else. It is strange how we compare, relating to teeth, to some African tribes that eat lots of meat.
 @fracas In Ethiopia milk is a staple food and she likely didn't have access to foods which contained sugar, so it is not unlikely that she could have developed very nice teeth even growing up in poverty.
 @fracas just because she comes from another country where perhaps they don't have as many resources as we do here, doesn't mean she had bad teeth. I can't believe you are using her teeth as an example of why her adoptive parents couldn't be capable of this crime. smh
@Flo @fracas Well...what I can't believe is how someone (like you) can completely twist around something that is asked or commented on. I merely stated that normal parents wouldn't do that for a child, only to turn around and abuse them like that. Stop reading things that aren't there.
The state doesn't do background or home checks on these adoped children? Then the State allowed this to happen.Â
I am a pretty non-violent guy, but I would gladly help a mob beat the living .... out of these two "parents"
@al_02 I'd be proud to lead the mob!
It's bad enough that anyone would do this to any child, but a child who clearly is already in a bad situation....and they take her and put her in a worse situation?! These people make me sick. I pray to GOD that this little girl was surrounded by angels when she died, I can't believe this.Â
How about looking into the DSHS. The problem is they(DSHS) get so focused on people they should not, and then get overloaded and people like these monsters get overlooked until it is too late. Stop focusing on single parents and those with mental health diagnoses, and realize that married couples abuse children too. Being married and having a super nice house does not mean you are not capable of being a monster. The DSHS system is broke...WA State, specifically CLARK Co. Has the WORST DSHS and that is a documented fact! How about big government get in and control that rather than control wether or women can legally have an abortion. How about saving the lives that have already been created, maybe if you fix the broke system you can go back to trying to tell women what they can or cant do with their bodies. But unitl the deaths in the DSHS system are dealt with and those crooked social workers dealt with, children will continue to die!
Where was the school when she failed to show up, or neighbors... Nobody saw anything especially if she was outside??
How horrible. Â I don't see how people can do this and just go on with their lives like nothing happens. Â
Â
David Kobbeman
I wonder if some people adopt for the sole purpose of having someone to abuse that's not technically related to them....like somehow that makes it acceptable.
 @Solipsist01 That and likely money they get from the state...
 @FreedomRocks  @Solipsist01 I am just wondering why they would get money from the state if they adopt the child, I know that foster parents get money, but not if they adopt the child.Â
Depends on the circumstances. In California, for example, when you adopt special needs children, the state pays you money. In CA, for this example, special needs can be anything from mentally or physically challenged to having a serious disease to not speaking English (in CA, many children that are adopted speak Spanish and little/no English). Every state has different rules and "opportunities" to take advantage of surrounding adoptions.
@FreedomRocks....since you could be wrong, maybe you should find out first. Not defending their actions at all, but before this devolves into another stupid political debate about welfare it's probably a good idea to get the facts.
 @BarbWire  @FreedomRocks  @Solipsist01 A big money maker is having these kids "DIAGNOSED" as seriously mentally ill, qualifying them for Social Security/SSI disability benefits.
 @BarbWire  @Solipsist01 I could be wrong but guessing with 8 kids the likely were on some form of government support/welfare which goes up the more kids you have I believe. I thought it was why certain people liked to produce babies like rabbits even thought they had no way to support them...
Stick them in a box and bury them. Im sick of hearing about the horrific things done to children. I have no sympathy for these monsters. They all deserve to suffer
What the Hell is going on with all the safeties for ALL adoptions including international? Was this precious person from the "Black Market adoption"?
These people are not parents. They are predatory animals.
 @Brownknight I agree that they're not parents, but please call them monsters, not animals; animals don't do things like this - only humans.
This makes me sick what kind of human being would do that to a child