1-year-old boy died of skull fracture after his stepfather got frustrated he couldn’t calm him down and threw him against the bed; stepfather arrested
West Virginia – In a tragic case out of West Virginia, a 1-year-old boy, identified as Oliver, died after suffering a fatal skull fracture when his 27-year-old stepfather, identified as Z. Williams, got frustrated he couldn’t calm the baby down and threw him against a bed. The man now faces serious charges for the horrifying act that took the life of the child he was supposed to help care for.
Williams has been charged with first-degree murder and child abuse causing death following the death of his 1-year-old stepson. Authorities say Williams confessed to throwing the crying toddler, who then hit his head on a bed frame and the floor, leading to fatal injuries. The incident occurred around 9 a.m. on May 25 at their home. Emergency responders arrived after a 911 call reported that a baby had stopped breathing. When they got there, paramedics were already performing CPR on the child. The boy was rushed to the hospital, where he was declared dead about an hour later.
According to investigators, the child lived in the home with his mother, stepfather, and grandparents. The grandparents told troopers that the baby had been dealing with a recurring cold but otherwise seemed healthy when they left for work around 8 a.m. The baby’s mother later told police that the child was unusually fussy that morning and refused to take a nap. Feeling overwhelmed, she woke up Williams to help her settle the child. Williams took the baby into a separate bedroom. Minutes later, he yelled for the mother. When she entered the room, she found her son limp and unresponsive.
The mother immediately called 911 and began performing CPR while following the dispatcher’s instructions. Despite her efforts and those of the medical team, the baby could not be revived. Initially, no visible signs of serious injury were detected on the boy’s body, aside from a minor bruise above his eye. Medical examiners and officers questioned both the mother and Williams at the hospital to piece together what had happened. Williams told investigators that while trying to soothe the child by rocking him, the baby suddenly went rigid and then limp.
However, the autopsy conducted two days later revealed a more disturbing truth. The medical examiner discovered a severe skull fracture at the back of the baby’s head, an injury clearly caused by blunt force trauma. This finding prompted detectives to re-interview both parents. In a recorded and Mirandized interview, Williams confessed to the crime. He admitted that he had thrown the baby out of frustration, causing the child to hit his head on a bed frame and then the floor. Williams acknowledged his guilt by stating “it was all his fault,” according to the police affidavit.
Williams was arrested following his confession and is currently being held without bond at the regional jail. The charges he faces—first-degree murder and child abuse causing death—are among the most severe in West Virginia law and carry the potential for life imprisonment. At this time, it remains unclear whether Williams has retained legal counsel. No official court date has been set for his initial appearance.
The death of the young boy has left the community reeling. What began as a typical Sunday morning turned into an unthinkable tragedy that cost a child his life and shattered a family. Authorities say the investigation is ongoing, but the facts already gathered paint a grim picture of a moment of rage that ended in irreversible loss. As the legal process moves forward, loved ones of the victim are left to grieve the senseless death of a baby whose life was just beginning.
